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00022245250 
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RUSS    3EGAN    TAKING    MANY    VIEWS    OF   THE    PITCHING,   TOSSING 

SCHOONER. — Page  157. 
Moving:  Picture  Girls  at  Sea. 


RUSS    3EGAN    TAKING    MANY    VIEWS    OF   THE    PITCHING,    TOSSING 
SCHOONER. — Page  157. 

Movitifr  Picture  Girls  at  Sea. 


The  Moving  Picture 
Girls  at  Sea 

Or 

A  Pictured  Shipwreck  That  Became  Real 


BY 
LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

&.0THOR  or  "  The  Moving  Picture  Girls,"    "  The    Moving 

Picture  Girls  at  Rocky  Ranch,"  "  The  Outdoor  Girls 

Seribs;"  "  The  Bobbsey  Twins  Series."  Etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


THE  WORLD  SYNDICATE  PUBLISHING  CO. 

CLEVELAND,  O.  NEW  YORK,  N.  Y. 

Made  in  U.  S.  A. 


Copyright,  1915,  by 
<GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 


PBES3  op 
THE  COMMERCIAL  BOOKBINDING  CO. 

Cleveland 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  The  Great  Marine  Film i 

II  Jack  Jepson    10 

III  Something  of  a  Mystery 21 

IV  The  Sailor's  Story 28 

V  The  Mary  Ellen 36 

VI  Captain  Brisco    45 

VII  Jepson  is  Worried 53 

VIII  Hard  Work 60 

IX  The  Rising  Tide 68 

X  Too  Much  Realism 76 

XI  A  Revised  Film 87 

XII  Overheard 94 

XIII  "  All  Aboard!  " 104 

XIV  Overboard   114 

XV  "  Sail  Ho!  "   123 

XVI  The  Accusation 133 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVII    The  Storm 141 

XVIII     Grinding  Away   149 

XIX     Disabled 158 

XX     In  the  Vortex 165 

XXI    Wrecked    172 

XXII    "Mutiny!"   182 

XXIII  Help  at  Last 188 

XXIV  A  Signal  of  Distress 200 

XXV    Clear  Skies 206 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS 
AT  SEA 

CHAPTER  I 

THE  GREAT  MARINE  FILM 

"  Well,  at  last  a  breathing  period,  Ruth.  Oh, 
I  am  surely  tired !  "  and  the  girl  threw  herself  on 
the  couch,  without  stopping  to  remove  her  light 
jacket  and  hat.  Her  head  sank  wearily  on  a  cush- 
ion. 

"Oh,  Alice!  Be  careful!  Look  out!"  ex- 
claimed the  other  occupant  of  the  pleasant  little 
room,  a  room  made  habitable  by  the  articles  of 
tasteful  adornment  in  it,  rather  than  by  the  loca- 
tion of  the  apartment,  or  the  place  itself.  There 
was  a  "  homey  "  air  about  it. 

"  I'm  too  tired  to  look  out,  or  even  look  in," 
was  the  answer,  as  the  younger  girl  closed  her 
eyes.  Truly  she  seemed  much  "  fagged,"  and 
worn  out. 

"  But,  Alice,  dear — your  hat !  " 

"  It  doesn't  matter,  Ruth.  Please  let  me  rest 
I  thought  we'd  never  get  home." 

I 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


But  it  isn't  your  old  hat,  Alice,  and- 


"  It's  an  old  hat  from  now  on !  "  broke  in  the 
younger  girl,  not  opening  her  eyes.  "  It's  spoiled 
anyhow.  Some  of  the  water  from  that  parlor 
scene,  where  Mr.  Bunn  upset  the  globe  of  gold 
fish,  splashed  on  it,  and  the  spots  never  will  come 
out." 

"Oh,  Alice,  is  your  hat  spoiled?" 

"  It  doesn't  matter.  Mr.  Pertell  is  going  to  buy 
me  a  new  one.  He  said  it  was  up  to  the  company 
to  do  that,  especially  as  I  did  so  well  in  that  burn- 
ing room  scene  the  other  day.  There !  "  and  the 
girl  on  the  couch  raised  her  small  fist  and  plumped 
it  full  on  the  crown  of  the  chic  little  toque  she 
was  wearing. 

"  Alice  DeVere !  "  cried  her  sister,  aghast. 

"  Ruth  DeVere — Lady  Clarissa — Senorita  Ala- 
mondi !  Whatever  you  like,  only  let  me — alone ! 
I've  posed  and  acted  and  otherwise  contorted 
myself  before  at  least  five  thousand  feet  of  film 
today,  and  I'm  not  going  to  be  disturbed  now, 
just  for  the  sake  of  a  hat  that  is  as  good  as  paid 
for  anyhow,  so  '  please  go  'way  and  let  me 
sleep/  "  and  Alice  murmured  the  chorus  of  a 
once  popular  song. 

Ruth  sighed.  Somehow,  looking  at  her  gentle 
and  refined  face,  one  understood  that  a  sigh,  from 
her,  was  the  only  possible  answer  under  the  cir- 


THE  GREAT  MARINE  FILM  3 

cumstances.  Not  that  the  girl  on  the  couch,  with 
closed  eyes,  was  unrefined.  But  there  was  a 
wholesome  air  of  good  health  about  her  that 
caused  one  to  think  of  a  "  jolly  good  fellow," 
rather  than  a  girl  who  needed  to  be  helped  on 
and  off  trolley  cars. 

"  You  are  tired,"  commented  Ruth,  after  a 
pause.  "  Shall  I  make  you  a  cup  of  tea,  dear? 
Or  we  could  go  over  to  Mrs.  Dalton's,  if  you  like. 
You  know  she  told  us  always  to  come  in  when 
we  came  from  the  theatre,  and  have  tea." 

"  No,  dear,  thank  you.  It's  awfully  good  of 
you  to  offer,  but  I  don't  want  you  to  trouble.  I'll 
be  all  right  in  a  few  minutes.    I  just  want  to  rest." 

"It  was  a  tiresome  day;  wasn't  it,  dear?" 

"  I  should  say  so,  *  and  then — some,'  as  Russ 
would  say." 

"  You  shouldn't  quote  Russ  when  he  uses 
slang,"  was  the  older  girl's  rebuke. 

"  Can't  help  it,  Ruth.  That  just  seemed  to  fit. 
But  you  can't  feel  so  very  rested  yourself.  You 
had  some  heavy  parts  today." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind.  I  really  was  in  love  with 
that  role  of  Lady  Clarissa.  I  always  did  like 
English  plays,  anyhow." 

"  Well,  we  are  getting  more  than  our  share 
of  them  this  season.  I  wish  Mr.  Pertell  would 
swing  to  a  good  American  drama  again.     Say, 


4        THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

didn't  we  have  fun  at  Rocky  Ranch?  "  and  as  she 
asked  this  some  of  the  weariness  seemed  to  slip 
off  Alice  as  a  discarded  garment  is  let  fall.  She 
sat  up,  her  eyes  flashing  with  fun,  and  her  cheeks 
that  had  been  pale  were  now  suffused  with  a 
heightened  color. 

"  Yes,  we  did  have  fun,"  assented  Ruth.  "  But 
it  was  hard  work,  too, — especially  when  that 
prairie  fire  came  a  little  too  close  for  comfort." 

"  That  was  rather  scary,"  assented  Alice. 
"  But  it  was  outdoors,  and  that  was  what  I  love. 
Oh,  I  can  just  smell  that  wonderful  air  yet!  "  and 
she  breathed  in  a  long  breath.  A  look  of  annoy- 
ance passed  over  her  face,  and  she  made  a  gesture 
of  disapproval,  "  wrinkling  "  her  nose. 

"  They're  having  corned  beef  and  cabbage  again 
downstairs,"  she  said,  pointing  to  the  apartment 
below  them. 

"Well,  they  have  a  right  to  it,"  Ruth  said, 
with  a  tolerant  smile. 

"  Not  when  daddy  hates  it  so,"  disagreed  Alice. 
"  Come  on,  let's  make  a  cup  of  tea.  And  is  there 
any  cheese  ?  " 

"Cheese?" 

"  Yes,"  the  younger  girl  went  on.  "  I'm  going 
to  make  a  Welsh  rpi'ebit.  Daddy  just  adores 
them,  and  the  smell  of  the  toast  will  take  away  the 
odor  of  that  cabbage.    Is  there  any  cheese?  " 


THE  GREAT  MARINE  FILM  5 

"  I  think  so.    But  I  thought  you  were  tired." 

"  I  was,  but  I  guess  thinking  of  the  moving 
picture  days  at  Rocky  Ranch  acted  as  a  tonic. 
I'm  rested  now.     There !  " 

She  tossed  the  hat,  which  she  had  so  mistreated, 
on  a  chair,  slipped  off  her  jacket  and  started  for 
the  kitchen. 

"  I  think  there  is  some  cheese,"  went  on  Ruth, 
following  her  younger  sister.  "  But  don't  make 
the  rarebit  as  you  did  last  time.  It  was  so  tough 
that  Russ  said  it  would  do  very  well  to  half  sole 
his  rubber  boots." 

"  That  was  because  I  put  the  milk  in  too  sud- 
denly. I  won't  do  it  that  way  this  time.  Come 
on,  we'll  get  up  a  nice  little  tea  for  daddy.  He's 
sure  to  be  tired  also.  They  had  to  film  that  big 
scene  of  the  accusation  over  three  times  before 
Mr.  Pertell  was  satisfied." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  I  didn't  know  that,  I  was  so  busy 
with  that  English  play.    Then  father  will  be  late." 

"  A  little.  He  said  he'd  follow  us  in  about  an 
hour,  though.  So  we'll  just  about  have  it  ready 
in  time.    Did  Russ  come  out  with  you?  " 

"  No,"  and  though  she  uttered  but  this  simple 
word  the  cheeks  of  Ruth  took  on  a  more  ruddy 
hue. 

"  I  saw  Pearl  waiting  for  him,"  went  on  Alice. 
«  But " 


6        THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  You  did  ?  "  cried  Ruth,  and  then  she  added 
quickly :  "  Oh,  I  mean  I  suppose  he  had  to  go 
with  her  to  film  that  scene  in  Central  Park,  near 
the  lion's  cage." 

"  Don't  get  jealous  now,"  teased  Alice.  "  I 
said  Pearl  waited  for  him,  but,  she  is — still  wait- 
ing, I  guess." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

Ruth  tried  to  appear  indifferent,  but  it  was 
not  an  unqualified  success. 

"  I  mean  that  Russ  got  one  of  the  other  camera 
men  to  take  his  place,  and  go  out  with  Miss  Pen- 
nington," said  Alice  with  a  laugh  as  she  began 
cutting  the  bread  in  thin  slices  for  toast. 

"  But  Russ—" 

"  He  went  up  town.  He  told  me  to  tell  you  he 
thought  he  could  get  that  book  you  spoke  of." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  want  him  to  go  to  all  that 
trouble ! "  remonstrated  Ruth,  looking  at  her. 
Bister,  and  then  suddenly  averting  her  gaze. 

"  Guess  he  doesn't  call  much  trouble  where  you 
are  concerned,"  said  Alice  significantly,  cutting  up 
some  chunks  of  cheese  which  she  put  in  a  double 
boiler  with  some  lumps  of  butter.  "  He  said  if 
you  wanted  a  book  to  give  you  some  of  the  de- 
tails of  the  country,  where  that  English  play  was 
supposed  to  take  place,  you  were  going  to  have 
it." 


THE  GREAT  MARINE  FILM  y{ 

"  It's  awfully  good  of  him,"  murmured  Ruth. 
"  I  just  casually  mentioned  that  I'd  like  to  know 
something  about  the  people  of  that  section,  and  he 
offered  to  get  a  book  he  had  once  heard  of.  But 
I  didn't  want  him  to  make  such  a  fuss  over  it." 

"  La-la-la !  "  chanted  Alice,  about  nothing  in 
particular. 

The  girls  busied  themselves  getting  tea.  The 
kettle  was  soon  singing  on  the  gas  stove,  the  crisp 
odor  of  toast  had  replaced  the  heavier  one  of  cab- 
bage, and  the  rarebit  was  almost  ready  to  serve, 
when  a  step  was  heard  out  in  the  hall  of  the 
apartment  house  where  the  DeVere  family  had 
their  New  York  home. 

"  There's  daddy !  "  exclaimed  Alice. 

"  And  just  in  time,"  added  Ruth,  as  she  poured 
the  boiling  water  on  the  tea,  adding  to  the  fra- 
grant food  perfumes  that  now  filled  the  apart- 
ment. 

The  key  clicked  in  the  lock,  the  door  opened, 
and  a  rather  imposing  figure  of  a  man  entered, 
laying  aside  his  hat  and  light  overcoat,  for  the 
Spring  day  was  a  bit  chilly. 

"  Hello,  Daddy !  "  called  Alice,  putting  up  her 
face  to  be  kissed,  as  she  came  in  from  the 
kitchen  with  a  plate  of  delicately  browned  toast. 
"  You're  just  in  time.  And  it's  such  a  lovely 
rarebit ! " 


8        THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  That's  good,  my  dear." 

"  Oh,  Father,  how  hoarse  you  are ! "  cried 
Ruth.    "Is  your  throat  bad  again  ?  " 

"  Well,  this  harbor  dampness  isn't  just  the  best 
medicine  for  it.  But  I  shall  spray  it,  and  it  will 
be  better." 

He  sank  somewhat  wearily  into  a  chair  as  he 
spoke,  and  Ruth  glided  over  to  him. 

"  Daddy,"  she  said,  "  you  look  worried.  Has 
anything  happened?  Is  anything  wrong  at  the 
moving  picture  studio  ?  " 

"  No,  nothing  wrong,  but — " 

It  was  evident  that  something  out  of  the  usual 
had  occurred.  Even  light-hearted  Alice  sensed 
it. 

"What  is  it?"  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  nothing  so  much,"  her  father  said  in 
weary  tones.  "  I  suppose  I  shouldn't  make  such 
a  fuss  over  it.  But  Mr.  Pertell  has  finally  decided 
to  film  the  great  marine  drama,  and  that  means 
we  shall  have  to  go  out  on  the  water,  more  or  less. 
And  with  my  sore  throat  that  isn't  just  the  best 
thing  in  the  world  for  me." 

"A  marine  drama!"  cried  Alice.  "Oh,  I 
shall  just  love  that! " 

A  look  of  worry  still  clouded  Mr.  DeVere's 
face. 

"  Father,    there    is    something   else,"    insisted 


THE  GREAT  MARINE  FILM  g 

Ruth.     "You  haven't  told  us  all  about  this  sea 
film." 

"  No,  I— I  haven't,"  he  said.  "  And,  to  tell  the 
truth,  I'd  rather  we  weren't  going  to  be  in  that 
marine  drama." 


CHAPTER  II 

JACK  JEPSON 

Hosmer  DeVere's  words  and  manner  alike 
were  alarming  to  his  daughters.  Seldom  had 
they  seen  him  so  moved,  especially  over  such 
a  seemingly  simple  matter  as  the  announcement 
of  a  new  moving  picture  drama.  He  and  the 
girls,  in  common  with  the  other  members  of  the 
Comet  Film  Company,  had  to  portray  many 
different  scenes  in  the  course  of  a  season's  work, 
and  though  some  of  it  was  distasteful,  it  was 
seldom  objected  to  by  anyone,  unless  perhaps  by 
Pepper  Sneed,  the  "  grouch,"  or  perhaps  by  Mr. 
Wellington  Bunn,  an  actor  of  the  old  school,  who 
could  not  reconcile  himself  to  the  silent  drama. 

"Why,  Daddy,  what  is  the  matter?"  asked 
Alice.  "  I  think  it  will  be  perfectly  fine  to  have 
a  little  trip  out  to  sea,  especially  now  that  Summer 
is  coming  on." 

"  But  not  if  the  damp  salty  air  is  going  to  irri- 
tate his  throat,"  declared  Ruth. 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  so  much  that,"  Mr.  DeVere  said, 
10 


JACK  JEPSON  ii 

u  but  you  girls  evidently  don't  know  that  the  big 
scene  in  this  drama  is  a  shipwreck,  and  what 
follows.  I  am  to  be  '  cast '  in  that,  and  so  are 
you." 

"  Well,  what  of  it?  "  asked  Alice.  "  It  won't 
be  a  real  shipwreck ;  will  it  ?  " 

"Real?  Of  course  not!"  exclaimed  Ruth. 
"The  idea!" 

"  I  certainly  hope  it  won't  be  real,"  Mr.  DeVere 
said,  "  But —  Oh,  well,  I  suppose  I  may  as  well 
admit  the  truth.  You'll  probably  call  me  fussy 
and  all  that,  and  laugh  at  the  superstition  of  an 
old  actor.  But  you  know  we  have  our  traditions, 
though  I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  have  lost  many 
of  them  since  entering  on  this  moving  picture 
work.  But  I  had  a  dream  about  this  same  ship- 
wreck, and  that  was  before  I  knew  we  were  to  be 
in  it,  for  I  might  mention  that  Mr.  Pertell  has  in- 
cluded you  girls  in  the  drama,  and  has  prominent 
parts  selected  for  you." 

"  Oh,  I'm  glad !  "  cried  Alice  enthusiastically. 

"  I'm  not,"  her  father  said,  and  he  did  not 
smile.  "  As  I  said  I  had  a  dream  about  this 
drama  before  I  knew  we  were  to  have  parts 
in  it.    And  in  that  dream  I  saw " 

"  Oh,  Daddy !  Now  don't  tell  a  depressing 
dream  before  tea!"  begged  Alice,  slipping  her 
arms  about  his  neck,  and  imprinting  a  kiss  on  a 


I2      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

spot,  which,  if  it  were  not  already  bald,  was  fast 
becoming  so.  "  Wait  until  after  supper — the 
rarebit  will  spoil  if  we  don't  eat  it  at  once.  Wait, 
Daddy  dear!" 

"  All  right,  I  will,"  he  assented  with  a  sigh. 
*'  Perhaps  I  may  have  a  less  gloomy  view  of  it 
after  a  cup  of  tea." 

And  while  the  little  family. party  is  gathered 
about  the  table,  I  shall  take  just  a  moment  to  tell 
my  new  readers  something  about  the  previous 
books  of  this  series. 

Ruth  and  Alice  DeVere  were  moving  picture 
girls,  which  you  have  probably  guessed  already. 
That  is,  they  were  actresses  for  the  silent  film 
dramas  that  make  so  much  for  enjoyment  nowa- 
days. Mr.  DeVere  was  also  an  actor  in  the  same 
company.  He  had  been  a  semi-tragedian  of  the 
"  old  school/"  but  his  voice  had  failed,  because  of 
a  throat  ailment,  and  he  could  no  longer  declaim 
his  lines  over  the  footlights.  He  was  in  distress 
until  it  was  suggested  to  him  that  he  take  up  mov- 
ing picture  work. 

This  suggestion  came  from  young  Russ  Dal- 
wood,  who,  with  his  widowed  mother  and  little 
brother,  lived  across  the  hall  from  the  DeVere 
family,  in  the  Fenmore  Apartment  on  one  of  the 
West  Sixty  streets  of  New  York.  Russ  had  in- 
vented a  new  attachment  for  a  moving  picture 


JACK  J  EPSON  13 

camera,  and  he  himself  was  a  camera  operator 
of  ability. 

At  first  Mr.  DeVere  had  refused  to  consider 
moving  picture  work,  but  he  finally  consented,  and 
even  allowed  his  daughters  to  take  their  parts  in 
the  silent  drama.  In  the  initial  book  of  the  series, 
"The  Moving  Picture  Girls,"  I  related  their 
first  experiences. 

All  was  not  smooth  sailing  Though  Mr. 
Frank  Pertell,  manager  of  the  Comet  Film  Com- 
pany, was  a  most  agreeable  man,  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  theatrical  company  were  like  those 
of  any  other  organization — some  were  liked,  and 
some  were  not.  Among  the  former,  at  least  from 
the  standpoint  of  Ruth  and  Alice,  was  Russ; 
Paul  Ardite,  who  played  juvenile  leads;  Pop 
Snooks,  the  property  man  and  one  who  did  all  the 
odd  tasks;  and  Carl  Switzer,  a  round-faced  Ger- 
man, who  was  funny  without  knowing  it. 

But  neither  Ruth  nor  Alice  cared  much  for 
Laura  Dixon  and  Pearl  Pennington,  two  former 
vaudeville  actresses  who  thought  they  were  con- 
ferring a  favor  on  the  cameras  to  pose  for  moving 
pictures.  Mr.  Bunn,  an  actor  of  the  kind  styled 
"  Hams  ",  was  in  like  case. 

Mr.  Bunn  was  always  bemoaning  the  fact  that 
he  had  left  the  "  legitimate  "  drama  with  a  chance 
of  playing  "  Hamlet  ",  to  take  up  moving  picture 


I  a       THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

work.  But  he  might  have  been  glad — especially 
on  paydays — for  he  had  made  more  out  of  camera 
work  than  he  could  have  done  on  the  regular 
stage. 

Pepper  Sneed  was  never  satisfied.  He  was  of 
a  gloomy  nature,  and  always  looking  for  trouble. 
Sometimes  he  found  it,  and  for  a  time  he  was 
happy  in  saying  "  I  told  you  so."  But  more  often 
he  proved  a  dismal  failure  as  a  predicter  of  ca- 
lamities. 

This  was  the  company,  with  others  whom  you 
will  meet  from  time  to  time,  in  whose  fortunes 
Ruth  and  Alice  DeVere  had  cast  their  lots. 

After  the  girls'  first  introduction  to  the  camera 
they  went  to  Oak  Farm  where  a  series  of  pictures 
were  taken,  and,  incidentally,  a  mystery  was 
cleared  up.  Getting  snowbound  was  another  ex- 
perience for  our  friends,  but  they  forgot  the 
cruelties  of  Winter  in  the  happy  days  under  the 
palms.  And  they  had  only  recently  come  back 
from  Rocky  Ranch,  where  a  number  of  Western 
dramas  had  been  filmed,  when  the  little  scene  of 
our  opening  chapter  took  place. 

Those  of  you  who  have  read  the  previous  books 
of  this  series  do  not  need  to  be  told  much  about 
moving  pictures.  And  even  those  who  select 
this  volume  as  their  first  venture  in  becoming 
acquainted  with  our  heroines  must  well  know  how 


JACK  JEPSON  i$ 

the  film  pictures  look  from  the  front  of  the 
screen. 

To  the  uninitiated  I  might  say  that  in  making 
picture  plays  a  company,  somewhat  like  a  regular 
theatrical  organization,  is  gotten  together.  The 
play  is  decided  upon,  but  instead  of  the  acts  tak- 
ing place  before  an  audience  they  are  enacted 
before  a  camera  and  a  man  who  acts  as  director, 
or  manager. 

Some  of  the  action  takes  place  out  of  doors, 
amid  the  surroundings  of  nature,  but  most  in- 
terior scenes  are  "  filmed,"  or  taken,  in  the  studio, 
under  the  brilliant  glare  of  electric  lights.  The 
pictures  are  taken  in  succession  on  a  narrow  strip 
of  celluloid  film,  of  the  same  nature  as  those  in 
any  camera.  The  strips  are  of  a  standard  length 
of  one  thousand  feet,  though  some  plays  may 
**  split,"  and  take  only  half  a  "  reel  "  while  others 
will  fill  several. 

When  the  film  has  been  exposed,  it  is  developed 
in  a  dark  tank,  and  from  that  one  "  master " 
film,  any  number  of  "  positives "  can  be  made 
for  use  in  the  projecting  machines.  Doubtless 
you  know  that  the  same  machine  which  takes  the 
pictures  does  not  show  them  on  the  screen. 

But  enough  of  this  detail. 

"  Was  the  rarebit  good  ?  "  asked  Alice,  smiling 
up  into  her  father's  face,  as  the  supper  pro- 
gressed. 


i6      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  You  may  give  me  some  more,  which  is  the 
best  answer  in  the  world,  my  dear,"  he  replied, 
smiling. 

"Be  careful !  "  Ruth  warned  him.  "  You  may 
have  dreams,  Daddy !  " 

A  shadow  seemed  to  pass  over  the  face  of  the 
old  actor.  He  had  been  jokingly  gay  during  the 
meal,  but  now  there  seemed  to  be  a  sense  of  de- 
pression. 

"  Might  as  well  tell  us,  and  have  it  over  with," 
suggested  Ruth.  "  We  don't  believe  in  dreams, 
anyhow.    Do  we  Alice?  " 

"  Not  a  bit,  and  I've  named  the  corners  of  my 
bed  ever  so  many  times,"  and  she  laughed  at  that 
old  sweethearts'  superstition. 

"  Well,  my  dream  was  very  vivid,"  Mr.  DeVere 
said.  "  I  don't  usually  believe  in  omens,  but  this 
one  impressed  me.  I  dreamed  we  were  all  at 
sea,  on  a  vessel  in  a  storm,  and,  somehow,  we 
became  separated.  I  saw  you  girls  going  down 
with  the  ship,  while  I  was  taken  up  on  a  life 
raft." 

"Well,  what  of  it,  Daddy?"  asked  Alice. 
"  I've  often  had  unpleasant  dreams  myself. 
Probably  you  ate  something  you  ought  not  to  have 
taken.  I'm  rather  sorry,  now,  I  made  this  rare- 
bit." 

"  Oh,  not  at  all !     It  was  excellent  1  "  he  ex- 


JACK  JEPSON 


17 


claimed.  "  I  would  perhaps,  have  thought  noth- 
ing of  my  dream  had  not  Mr.  Pertell,  a  short 
time  ago,  told  me  something  of  his  plans  for  the 
future.  He  spoke  of  a  great  marine  drama  he 
had  in  prospect,  and  we  are  to  have  prominent 
parts  in  it.  But  I  was  startled  when  he  told  me 
that  one  scene — the  great  one,  in  fact — was  to  be 
a  shipwreck.  He  has  engaged  an  old  vessel  for 
this  purpose,  and  he  is  going  to  sink  it  with  all 
on  board." 

"All  on  board !"  cried   Ruth."     You  don't 


mean- 


"  Well,  that's  how  it  will  appear  in  the  camera, 
anyhow.  You  girls  are  to  be  well  in  front,  and 
your  swimming  abilities  will  be  very  necessary, 
for  you  will  have  to  go  into  the  water." 

"  I  hope  it  is  warm,"  murmured  Alice. 

"  Oh,  it  will  be  Summer  before  we  get  to  the 
shipwreck  part,"  went  on  Mr.  DeVere.  "  But 
what  worries  me  is  my  dream  in  connection  with 
the  drama.  I  almost  told  Mr.  Pertell  we  would 
have  nothing  to  do  with  it." 

"  Oh,  Father !  You  can't  do  that !  "  exclaimed 
Ruth.  She,  as  housekeeper,  knew  how  much 
money  was  required  in  these  days  of  the  high  cost 
of  living.  Though  Mr.  DeVere  and  his  daughters 
received  fair  salaries,  there  were  many  expenses 
to  be  met,  and  if  they  refused  present  engage- 


jS    the  moving  picture  girls  at  sea 

ments  they  might  not  find  it  so  easy  to  get 
others. 

"  Oh,  of  course  I  didn't  actually  turn  it  down," 
said  the  old  actor,  "  but  it  gave  me  quite  a  turn,  I 
must  say.  I  haven't  gotten  over  it  yet,  seeing 
you  girls  disappear  under  the  waves." 

"Don't  think  of  it,  Daddy!"  urged  Alice. 
"  Have  some  of  this  apple  slump.  Mrs.  Dalwood 
sent  it  in." 

"  Your  idea  is  that  a  man's  mind  is  in  his 
stomach,  isn't  it,  daughter,"  laughed  her  father. 
"  Well,  I  will  have  some  of  the  dessert.  Oh,  but  I 
almost  forgot,  you  will  have  to  go  down  an  hour 
earlier  in  the  morning  to  the  studio." 

"  Why  ?  "    Ruth  wanted  to  know. 

"  A  heavy  day's  work  on,  and  Mr.  Pertell 
wants  to  sketch  out  the  preliminary  scenes  of  the 
marine  drama.  We  are  actually  going  to  sea,  I 
believe,  and  he  has  engaged  some  old  sailors,  o: 
at  least  one  so  far,  to  give  it  a  proper  nautical 
flavor.  It's  only  for  tomorrow  that  we  have  to  go 
earlier  than  usual." 

Mr.  DeVere  seemed  more  like  himself  after  he 
had  told  his  daughters  of  his  vision.  It  did  not 
so  depress  him  now,  and  the  rest  of  the  meal 
passed  off  in  a  much  more  jolly  manner. 

In  the  evening  Russ  Dalwood  came  in  from 


JACK  JEPSON  I9 

across  the  hall,  and  they  played  bridge  whist,  of 
which  Mr.  DeVere  was  fond. 

"  Fancy  daddy,  Russ,"  laughed  Alice,  "  want- 
ing us  to  give  up  a  chance  to  go  to  sea  just  because 
he  dreamed  of  a  shipwreck !  " 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  actually  want  you  to  give  it  up," 
her  father  remonstrated.  "  Perhaps  I  was  foolish 
even  to  mention  it.  But  I  can't  forget  it — I 
can't ! "  and  he  seemed  to  look  through  the  walls 
of  the  room  on  some  distant  and  fateful  scene. 

"  Well,  I  must  be  getting  back,"  Russ  said. 
"You've  won  the  rubber,  as  usual,  Mr.  DeVere. 
Lots  to  do  tomorrow,  and  I  have  a  new  assistant 
to  break  in,  so  I'll  say  good-night." 

There  were  busy  times  for  all  next  day,  in  the 
studio  of  the  moving  picture  concern.  In  the  big 
room  brilliant  with  electric  lights  as  well  as 
from  the  illumination  that  came  through  a  sky- 
glass,  there  were  several  scenes  from  different 
dramas  being  filmed  at  the  same  time. 

When  Ruth  and  Alice  DeVere  entered  with 
their  father,  Mr.  Pertell,  the  manager  of  the 
Comet  company,  was  engaged  off  to  one  side,  evi- 
dently instructing  a  man  in  what  he  must  do 
before  the  camera.  The  man  was  a  sailor,  and 
it  needed  but  a  glance  to  show  that  he  was  a  real 
one,  and  not  "  made  up  "  for  the  occasion. 

"  You  see,"  said  Mr.  Pertell,  "  you  come  into 


20      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

the  shipping  office,  and  pretend  to  hand  over  the 
papers.  But  you  slip  the  clerk  the  wrong  ones, 
and  while  he  is  examining  them  you  reach  over 
behind  him  and  take  the  documents  you  want." 

"  Avast  there !  Belay !  "  came  the  hoarse  voice 
of  the  sailor.     "  I  do  that  there,  do  I?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Steal  the  papers  ?  " 

"  Well,  it  isn't  stealing,  exactly.  It's 
only » 

"  Stealin'  is  what  I  call  it,  and  it  can't  be  called 
by  another  name  to  my  way  of  thinkin'.  It  won't 
do,  sir,  it  won't  do !  Jack  Jepson  got  into  trouble 
once,  but  he  isn't  goin'  to  do  it  again.  No  sir! 
That  stealin'  won't  do  for  Jack  Jepson.  You've 
got  to  get  someone  else  to  sign  them  articles  for 
you.  No  stealin'  for  Jack  Jepson ! "  and  the  figure 
of  the  old  sailor  turned  and,  with  a  rolling  gait 
he  started  across  the  big  studio  room. 


CHAPTER  III 

SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY 

"  Look  out  there !  " 

"  Where  you  going?  " 

"  Hold  him  back,  somebody !  Look  out,  you'll 
spoil  that  scene!  Don't  cross  in  front  of  the 
camera!" 

Half  a  dozen  frantic  voices  were  calling  to 
the  sailor  who,  with  dogged  persistence,  kept  on, 
shaking  his  grizzled  and  gray  head,  and  mutter- 
ing over  and  over  again: 

"  It  won't  do  for  Jack  Jepson !  No  sir !  It 
won't  do.  I  had  one  experience  with  trouble  and 
I  don't  want  any  more.    No  sir !  " 

Evidently  utterly  unused  to  a  moving  picture 
studio,  the  old  man  kept  on  his  way.  He  was 
headed  directly  toward  a  camera  that  was  "  film- 
ing "  an  elaborate  ball  room  scene. 

If  any  figure  came  between  the  scene  and  the 

camera  with  the  pictures  it  was  imprinting  on  the 

sensitive  celluloid  film  (at  the  rate  of  sixteen  per 

second)  part  of  the  elaborate  work  would  have 

21 


22      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

to  be  done  over  again.  And  as  one  of  the  char- 
acters in  the  little  play  was  a  celebrated  dancer, 
whose  time  was  paid  for  at  an  almost  unbelieve- 
able  sum  per  hour,  it  would  mean  a  heavy  ex- 
pense. 

"  Stop  him !  "  cried  Mr.  Pertell.  "  Come  back 
here!" 

"Halt!  Vamoose!  Turn  about!"  Paul 
Ardite  called  to  the  worked-up  traveler  of  the 
deep  blue  sea. 

This  had  no  effect. 

"  Avast  there !  Belay !  "  cried  Russ  Dalwood, 
who  was  not  at  that  moment  engaged  at  the  crank 
of  some  camera.  He  used  the  same  sea  terms 
the  old  man  himself  had  uttered,  but  this  salt- 
water "  lingo,"  or  translation  of  the  command  to 
halt,  had  no  effect  either. 

Then  came  an  interruption  at  a  most  opportune 
time.  Just  ahead  of  the  sailor  a  scene  from  a 
Wild  West  drama  was  being  enacted.  A  group 
of  cowboys  were  engaged  in  a  quarrel  in  the 
bunk  house,  which  had  been  set  up  in  the 
studio.  The  outdoor  scenes  of  the  little  play 
were  to  be  made  later,  for  it  is  the  custom  in 
this  business  to  make  all  the  scenes,  taking  place 
in  one  locality,  at  the  same  time,  regardless  of 
their  sequence  in  the  finished  play.  Later  the 
film  is  cut  up  into  strips,  pasted  together  with  the 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY 


23 


proper  headings,  or  captions,  and  the  finished 
play  results. 

And  just  as  the  old  sailor,  who  called  himself 
Jack  Jepson,  was  about  to  step  in  front  of  the 
ball  room  scene  camera,  to  the  frantic  horror  of 
the  operator,  one  of  the  cowboys,  following  out 
his  lines,  drew  his  revolver,  and  fired  a  blank 
cartridge  at  the  "  villain." 

In  the  studio  the  noise  was  like  that  of  a  small 
cannon. 

"  Mutiny ! "  yelled  Jack  Jepson,  jumping  in 
the  air  a  foot  or  more.    "  Mutiny !  " 

But  he  stopped,  and  just  in  time.  Two  steps 
more  would  have  brought  him  in  front  of  the 
clicking  camera. 

"  Mutiny!  "  he  fairly  roared.  "  What  is  this! 
Who's  firin'  a  shot  across  my  bows?  All  hands 
on  deck  t'  repel  boarders !  Avast  there ! "  and 
he  stood  looking  around  in  bewilderment,  while 
the  smoke  from  the  revolver  floated  upward. 

"  Come  here !  "  called  Mr.  Pertell  running  for- 
ward, and  grasping  the  arm  of  the  sailor  before 
he  could  get  away  to  step  in  front  of  any  of  the 
other  moving  picture  machines.  "  You  don't 
understand,  Mr.  Jepson.  I  merely  want  you 
to " 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  I  heard  you  say  what  you 
wanted  me  to  do.    Now  look  here !    I  don't  know 


24 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


much  about  you,  but  you  come  over  t'  our  Sailors' 
Snug  Harbor,  an'  you  took  some  pictures.  That 
was  all  right,  I'm  not  captain  there  an'  I  haven't 
anything  t'  say.  You  said  you  wanted  an  old 
able-bodied  man  for  certain  work,  an'  I  volun- 
teered. I  didn't  know  where  the  voyage  was,  but 
I  signed  on,  an'  come  here ;  didn't  I  ?  " 

"You  did,"  said  Mr.  Pertell.  "But  let  me 
explain." 

"  No,  you  listen  to  me,  first !  "  exclaimed  the 
old  salt,  shaking  a  thickened  and  roughened 
finger  at  the  manager.  "  I  come  here,  willin'  to 
do  anything  from  slushin'  th'  mast,  or  holystonin' 
th'  decks  t'  furlin'  sail  in  a  blow.  But  what  do 
I  get;  eh?  I  ask  you  what  do  I  get?  Why  an 
order  to  steal  shippin'  papers,  that's  what  I  get! 
An'  that's  a  serious  crime.  I'm  not  goin*  t'  be 
mixed  up  with  it.  No  sir!  Not  for  Jack  Jep- 
son !  "  and  he  tried  to  break  away. 

"  Wait  a  minute !  "  Mr.  Pertell  begged.  "  You 
don't  understand.  It's  only  the  business  of  steal- 
ing the  papers,  you  know." 

"  Well,  it's  mighty  poor  business  for  any  man 
t"  be  in ;  that's  my  opinion.  I  was  raised  honest, 
an',  man  and  boy,  I've  lived  honest  for  fifty 
years,  with  one  exception,  an'  that  wasn't  my 
fault,  and  now " 

Again  he  made  an  effort  to  leave,  which  effort 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY 


25 


if  not  blocked,  would  have  once  more  taken  him 
in  front  of  some  clicking  camera. 

"  Oh,  can't  you  understand !  "  cried  the  man- 
ager with  a  hopeless  gesture. 

"  Perhaps  I  could  explain  to  him,"  suggested 
Ruth  in  a  low  voice.  "  I  have  plenty  of  time,  Mr. 
Pertell,  and  though  I  don't  know  this  gentle- 
man  " 

"  Oh,  I  forgot.  He's  going  to  act  with  you 
and  your  sister,  Miss  DeVere,"  said  the  manager. 
"  Come  over  and  be  introduced.  You  too,  Mr. 
DeVere.  He's  to  have  a  part  in  our  great  sea 
drama,  that  is,  if  I  can  ever  get  it  started.  I 
began  explaining  to  Jepson,  here,  about  taking 
the  papers  which  have  to  do  with  the  case,  but 
he  can't " 

"  You  can't  make  me  believe  stealin's  right,  no 
matter  how  you  go  at  it !  "  interrupted  the  old 
salt,  doggedly  shaking  his  head. 

"  Perhaps  /  can,"  put  in  Ruth  with  a  smile,  as 
the  manager  mentioned  their  names  to  the  newest 
and,  seemingly,  the  most  refractory  member  of 
the  company. 

"Well,  Miss,"  said  the  sailor,  "you  look 
honest.  I  would  believe  what  you'd  tell  me,  for  I 
know  you  couldn't  do  no  wrong.  Perhaps  I  was  a 
bit  hasty,  but  you  see  this  is  all  new  to  me — this 
play-actin',  an'  shootin'  at  folks  unexpected  like. 


26      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

I  wouldn't  have  tried  it,  only  the  captain  at  the 
Sailors'  Snug  Harbor,  over  on  Staten  Island, 
where  I'm  berthed,  asked  me  as  a  favor  to  come 
here.     But  I  don't  like  it !  " 

"  I  didn't  at  first,"  said  Alice,  joining  with  her 
sister,  in  an  attempt  to  placate  the  old  salt.  "  But 
I  became  used  to  it." 

"  Ha !  You're  pretty  young  to  be  in  this 
business,"  said  Jack  Jepson,  who  evidently  said 
what  he  thought. 

"  Oh,  I'm  older  than  I  look,"  replied  Alice  with 
a  smile.  "  I  just  love  the  sea.  I  wish  you  would 
tell  me  about  some  of  your  voyages,  for  I'm  sure 
you  must  have  been  on  many." 

"  That  I  have,  Miss,  but  this  is  th'  queerest 
cruise  I  ever  started  on,"  and  he  looked  around 
at  the  many  scenes  being  enacted. 

Meanwhile  Ruth  had  slipped  to  Mr.  Pertell's 
side. 

"  Give  me  a  brief  outline  of  the  play,"  she 
suggested.  "  I  think  I  can  make  it  plain  to  him. 
He  is  all  fussed  up  because  it's  something  new. 
You  haven't  time  to  go  into  details." 

"  That's  right — I  haven't,"  agreed  the  harassed 
manager.  "  Well,  this  is  enough  for  you  to  know 
just  now.  There's  a  plot  to  sink  a  ship,  and  it  is 
necessary  that  certain  papers  appear  to  be  stolen. 

"  I  picked  Jepson  up,  as  he  says,  at  a  sailors' 


SOMETHING  OF  A  MYSTERY 


27 


home,  over  on  Staten  Island.  He's  a  typical  salt, 
but  he  balks  at  even  a  semblance  of  wrong- 
doing." 

"  I  think  I  can  make  him  understand,"  Ruth 
said  as  she  took  the  typewritten  pages  of  the 
scenario,  or  plot,  of  the  drama  from  the  manager. 

"  I  wish  you  would,"  Mr.  Pertell  said.  "  I've  a 
thousand  and  one  things  to  do." 

Ruth  started  toward  the  old  sailor.  To  her 
surprise  her  sister  Alice  was  now  in  earnest  con- 
versation with  him.  Jack  Jepson  seemed  to  have 
warmed  to  Alice  at  once.  And  Ruth  heard  him 
saying,  as  she  approached : 

"  Well,  Miss,  you  see  it  was  this  way.  There 
was  a  mutiny,  an'  I  was  accused,  but  I  wasn't 
guilty.  There  was  a  mystery  about  it  when  the 
captain  disappeared,  an'  that  mystery  hasn't  been 
solved  yet,  though  I'd  give  a  good  bit  if  it  were. 
It's  hangin'  over  me  like  a  nightmare,  Miss. 
Now  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it,  if  I  don't  tire  you." 

"  I  should  love  to  listen !  "  exclaimed  Alice, 
with  dancing  eyes  and  flushed  cheeks. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  SAILOR  S  STORY 


Ruth,  on  her  way  to  explain  to  sailor  Jack 
Jepson  what  was  wanted  of  him  in  the  matter 
of  acting  for  moving  pictures,  paused  as  she  saw 
Alice  and  the  aged  salt  in  earnest  conversation. 

"  I  think  I  had  better  defer  my  explanations 
a  while,"  Ruth  told  herself.  "  Perhaps  he  will 
be  in  a  better  frame  of  mind  to  listen,  after  he 
has  talked  with  Alice.  What  a  wonderful  way 
she  has  of  making  friends !  "  the  older  girl  mused 
as  she  looked  at  the  interested  and  flushed  face 
of  her  pretty  sister.  At  that  moment  Alice 
glanced  up  and  caught  Ruth's  gaze  on  her. 

"  Do  come  and  listen,"  she  called.  "  I'm  going 
to  hear  a  wonderful  story,  Ruth  dear." 

The  old  sailor  looked  up  quickly,  stopping  in  his 
progress  toward  a  bench,  whither  Alice  was  lead- 
ing him.  It  was  in  a  quiet  corner  of  the  studio, 
some  distance  away  from  the  various  little  groups 
that,  in  three-sided  rooms  (before  the  open  part  of 
which  cameras  were  placed,  and  over  which  big 

28 


THE  SAILOR'S  STORY 


2$ 


lights  hissed)  were  going  through  their  parts  in 
the  silent  dramas. 

"  This  is  my  sister,"  Alice  said. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  now,"  Jack  Jepson  said. 
"  There's  so  much  goin'  on  that  I  get  a  bit  con- 
fused. But  I  can  see  you  two  look  alike.  Are 
you  goin'  to  put  me  reefin'  sails  or  scrubbin' 
decks  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Neither  one,"  Ruth  said  with  a  smile.  "  I 
told  Mr.  Pertell,  our  manager,  that  I'd  explain 
what  was  wanted  of  you.  It  is  very  simple, 
and—" 

"  I  don't  call  it  simple  t'  rob  an'  cheat ! "  cried 
Jack  with  energy,  "  an'  that's  what  he  wanted  me 
to  do." 

"  I'll  explain,  and  I  think  you'll  find  it  all 
right,"  Ruth  went  on.  "  My  sister  and  I  are  in 
this  business,"  she  added,  "  and  I  don't  believe 
you  think  we  would  do  anything  wrong." 

"  Far  be  it — far  be  it,"  said  the  old  salt,  ear- 
nestly. 

"  Oh,  but  before  you  came,  Ruth  dear,"  sug- 
gested Alice,  "  Mr.  Jepson  was  going  to  tell 
me " 

"Avast  there!  Belay!  Hold  on!"  exclaimed 
the  sailor,  his  voice  ringing  out  through  the  studio, 
above  the  tones  of  those  actors  who,  to  give 
greater  verisimilitude  to  their  work  were  talking 


30 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


their  parts,  as  well  as  going  through  them.  They 
smiled  at  the  old  salt's  energy. 

"  Wait  a  minute,  Miss,"  he  went  on  in  lower 
tones.  "  I  didn't  mean  t'  be  so  quick,  but  that 
Mr.  Jepson  business  won't  do.    Not  at  all! " 

"  Why,  isn't  that  your  name  ?  "  asked  Ruth. 
"  I  understood  Mr.  Pertell  to  say " 

"  Oh,  that's  my  name — at  least  the  Jepson  part 
of  it  is.  But  I  don't  like  the  mister.  I'm  not  used 
to  it.  The  only  time  of  late  years  when  I  was 
called  Mister  was  when  I  was  up  before  the 
lawyers,  and  I  didn't  like  it  then.  Jest  please 
call  me  Jack  Jepson,  an'  'twill  sound  more 
natural.  I  ask  it  as  a  favor,  Miss,"  and  he  looked 
from  Ruth  to  Alice. 

"  Why  of  course  we'll  call  you  Jack,"  assented 
the  latter.  "  It  will  sound  nicer  anyhow,  I  think," 
she  added.  "  Now  go  on  with  your  story.  You 
said  there  was  a  mystery  in  it.  Has  it  anything 
to  do  with — buried  treasure  ?  "  and  Alice  leaned 
forward  eagerly. 

"  Buried  treasure  ?  No,  Miss.  What  made  you 
ask  that?" 

"  The  idea !  "  exclaimed  Ruth  with  a  laugh. 
"  I'm  afraid  you'll  think  my  sister  very  romantic, 
Mr.— er— Jack." 

"  That's  better !  "  he  laughed.  "  Well,  I  don't 
know  much  about  romance.  My  life's  been  mostly 
hard  work." 


THE  SAILOR'S  STORY 


31 


"  I  just  mentioned  treasure,"  Alice  said  with  a 
little  laugh,  and  a  glance  toward  where  Miss 
Pennington  and  Miss  Dixon,  having  a  rest  from 
their  moving  picture  work,  were  curiously  eyeing 
the  old  sailor  and  the  two  girls. 

"  Well,  my  mystery  hasn't  anything  t'  do  with 
buried  treasure,"  resumed  Jack  Jepson.  "  It's 
about  a  mutiny  that  took  place  off  th'  Hole  in  th' 
Wall,  about  five  years  ago,  an' " 

"Hole  in  the  Wall!"  interrupted  Ruth.  "I 
thought  mutinies  always  took  place  on  the  high 
seas." 

"  Well,  this  was  the  high  seas,"  Jack  an- 
swered. 

"But  the  Hole—?" 

"  That's  the  name  of  a  passage  between  Great 
Abaco  Island  and  Eleuthera,  in  the  West 
Indies,"  the  sailor  replied.  "  I  don't  know  why 
it's  called  that,  but  it  is." 

"  A  queer  name,"  murmured  Ruth. 

"  Go  on,  please,"  urged  Alice. 

"  Well,  I  was  second  mate  aboard  a  five  masted 
schooner  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,"  went 
on  Jack  Jepson.  "  We  were  going  down  to  South 
America,  in  ballast  t'  bring  back  a  cargo  of  hard 
woods,  an'  off  the  Hole  in  the  Wall  th'  trouble 
started. 

"  Some  of  the  crew  kicked  on  account  of  the 


32       THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

grub — that's  the  stuff  we  eat  on  a  ship,"  he  ex- 
plained. 

"  Oh,  we  know  something  of  such  talk,"  said 
Alice  with  a  laugh.  "  We  haven't  been  out  West 
among  the  cowboys  for  nothing!  " 

"  Well,  some  of  th'  hands  laid  it  to  the  grub, 
an'  others  t'  th'  hard  work  of  sailing  th'  craft," 
went  on  Jack.  "  She  was  a  mighty  poor  schooner 
in  ballast,  an'  owing  t'  storms  an'  rough  weather 
we  had  t'  be  takin'  in  or  lettin'  out  reefs  all  th' 
while.  It  wasn't  so  bad  up  t'  th'  time  we  got  off 
th'  Hole  in  th'  Wall,  but  from  then  on  it  was 
fierce ! 

"  I'd  heard  rumors  that  th'  crew  was  goin'  t' 
mutiny  an'  demand  that  we  put  in  at  some  port, 
an'  get  better  grub,  an'  more  hands,  for  we  was 
short  of  sailors.  But  I  didn't  pay  much  attention 
to  th'  underhand  talk  until  it  was  too  late.  Then, 
all  at  once,  when  we  had  got  away  down  about  off 
Anegada,  th'  mutiny  broke  in  full  force.  The 
men  riz  up,  an'  overpowered  th'  officers — th'  cap- 
tain was  made  a  prisoner  in  his  cabin,  an'  I  was 
given  my  choice  of  joinin'  th'  mutineers  or 
walkin'  th'  plank." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  asked  Ruth,  a  bit  startled. 

"  That's  when  they  blindfold  a  man,  and  make 
him  walk  a  plank  that  is  put  out  over  the  bul- 
warks, or  side  of  the  ship,"  said  Alice. 


THE  SAILOR'S  STORY 


33 


"  Why,  if  he  were  blindfolded  I  should  think 
he'd  fall  off,  not  knowing  when  he  came  to  the 
end,"  Ruth  remarked,  with  a  little  shudder. 

"  He  doesn't  know,"  Alice  said.  "  That's  an 
easy  way  of  sending  a  man  to  his  doom." 

"That's  it,  Miss!"  chimed  in  Jack.  "You 
got  th'  idea !  " 

"  But  Alice,  how  did  you  know  that  dreadful 
thing?"  her  sister  wonderingly  demanded. 

"  Read  it  in  a  book.  Go  on  please,  Mr. — er— 
Jack." 

"Of  course  I  didn't  want  t'  walk  no  plank," 
resumed  the  sailor,  "  so  I  temporized.  I  thought 
maybe  I  could  beat  th'  mutineers  after  all.  So  I 
pretended  t'  join  'em.  Things  got  pretty  bad. 
Many  of  'em  was  for  puttin'  th'  captain  away — 
tossin'  him  overboard,  an'  there  was  a  fight  about 
it.  Matters  got  t'  such  a  pass  that  pistols  were 
fired,  an'  th'  captain  would  have  been  shot,  an' 
killed,  only  a  fellow  named  Mike  Tullane,  a  rough 
character,  an'  one  of  the  leaders  of  th'  mutiny, 
stepped  up  sudden  like  an'  saved  th'  captain's  life 
by  knockin'  aside  th'  ruffian's  gun. 

"  Well,  of  course  there  was  a  fight  then,  but 
Mike  seemed  t'  come  out  all  right,  bein'  a  leader, 
an'  havin'  th'  men  pretty  well  with  him.  Anyhow, 
th'  mutineers  were  in  charge  of  th'  ship,  an'  off 
Anegada,  one  of  th'  little  British  Islands  of  the 


34       THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

West  Indies,  we  were  put  about  t'  run  for  port. 
Jest  what  was  t'  be  done  no  one  seemed  to  know. 
After  the  men  got  th'  ship  they  didn't  know  what 
to  do  with  her. 

"  Then  came  th'  mystery.  One  night  th'  cap- 
tain an'  Mike  Tullane  disappeared.  They  was 
seen  in  th'  cabin,  talkin'  together,  an'  some  of  th' 
hot-headed  ones  thought  Mike  was  going'  back 
on  his  pals.  They  was  for  makin'  him  walk  th' 
plank. 

"  But  cooler  heads  made  'em  wait.  They  said 
they  wanted  t'  give  Mike  a  chance  to  explain. 
But  he  never  got  it." 

"  Do  you  mean  they — "  began  Alice,  somewhat 
horrified. 

"  I  mean  that  night  he  an'  th'  captain  dis- 
appeared," Jack  said.  "  They  couldn't  be  found 
anywhere.  No  boat  was  taken,  so  they  couldn't 
have  gotten  off  in  one  of  them  craft,  an'  we  wasn't 
near  enough  land  t'  make  swimmin'  safe.  But 
they  totally  disappeared,  an'  that  was  th'  mystery. 
Whether  they  had  a  fight,  an'  jumped  overboard 
together  in  th'  darkness,  no  one  ever  knowed,  for 
them  mutineers  didn't  keep  extra  good  watch. 

"  But  anyhow  they  was  gone — mysteriously 
missin'  as  they  say  in  the  paper.  That  sort  of 
took  the  heart  out  of  some  of  th'  mutineers  and 
they  got  careless.    First  we  knew  a  British  vessel 


THE  SAILOR'S  STORY  35 

overhauled  us,  and,  not  likin'  th'  looks  of  things, 
began  to  ask  questions.  Of  course  there  wasn't 
any  captain,  such  as  there  should  be  on  a  ship, 
an'  that  made  it  look  auspicious.  Th'  worst  of  it 
was  that  nobody  could  say  where  the  captain  was. 
None  of  us  knew. 

"  Then  th'  story  of  th'  mutiny  came  out,  of 
course,  an'  it  was  all  up.  The  Britisher  took 
charge  of  us,  I  was  arrested  as  the  ring-leader 
of  the  mutiny,  an'  put  in  chains!  An'  I  had  no 
more  to  do  with  it  than  a  baby,  Miss.  No  more 
than  a  baby ! "  and  Jack  Jepson  looked  from 
Ruth  to  Alice,  his  blue  eyes  expressing  the  in- 
dignation he  had  felt  at  the  time. 

"  An'  that's  th'  story  of  th'  mystery,  as  I  said 
I'd  tell  your  sister,"  he  added  turning  to  Ruth. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  MARY  ELLEN 

During  the  silence  that  followed  the  rather 
sudden  ending  of  the  old  salt's  story,  Ruth  and 
Alice  looked  at  each  other  with  wonder  in  their 
eyes.  On  all  sides  of  them  could  be  heard  the 
clicking  of  the  moving  picture  cameras,  the  loud 
directions  issued  by  the  men  who  were  managing 
the  different  little  dramas,  and  occasionally  the 
sound  of  shots  from  the  cowboy  play  that  was 
going  on  in  front  of  where  our  friends  were 
seated  on  the  bench,  though  at  some  distance 
away,  for  the  studio  was  large. 

"But  that  can't  be  all  of  it,"  said  Alice,  at 
length. 

"All  of  what,  Miss?"  Jack  Jepson  asked. 

"  The  mystery." 

"  That's  all  there  is  to  any  mystery,  Miss," 
he  said.  "  A  mystery  is  a  mystery,  an'  if  it  isn't 
solved,  it's  a  mystery  still,  an'  nobody  can  make 
any  more  of  it.  Th'  captain  and  Mike  Tullane 
completely  disappeared,  an'  were  never  heard  of 
afterward.  That's  th'  mystery,  an'  all  there  is 
to  it,  jest  as  I  told  you." 

36 


THE  MARY  ELLEN  7>7 

"But  about  yourself?"  asked  Ruth.  "You 
said  you  were  put  in  chains,  under  arrest,  as  the 
ringleader  of  the  mutiny." 

"  So  I  was." 

"  But  what  became  of  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  escaped,  Miss.  It  may  not  be  a  very 
nice  thing  to  confess,  but  I  escaped.  Th'  British 
ship  took  us  to  a  jail  on  some  island — I  forget  th' 
name  of  it.  Anyhow  I  was  locked  up,  an'  so 
were  a  lot  of  th'  others.  We  were  tried,  an'  I 
was  accused  of  startin'  th'  mutiny.  Some  of  th' 
worst  men  on  th'  ship  put  th'  blame  on  me,  an'  I 
wasn't  a  bit  guilty.  But  it  was  no  use  in  denyin' 
it  They  was  all  banded  together  t'  accuse  me  t' 
save  themselves.  I  was  found  guilty,  though  I 
wasn't  at  all,  an'  I  was  sentenced  to  a  long  im- 
prisonment. I  just  escaped  hanging  by  a  hair, 
for  mutiny  on  th'  high  seas  is  a  serious  crime. 

"  But  I  was  innocent,  an'  I  knew  it,  an'  when  I 
found  th'  trial  goin'  against  me,  I  took  a  chance 
that  offered,  an'  planned  t'  escape.  I  found  a 
French  vessel  puttin'  t'  sea  an'  as  they  was  short 
handed  I  signed  on.  Since  then  I've  been  in  many 
vessels,  but  I  always  keep  away  from  English 
ones,  and  from  English  ports,  for  I  would  be  ar- 
rested the  minute  I  set  my  foot  on  shore  in  one. 
A  big  reward  is  out  for  me." 

"  How  long  ago  was  all  this?  "  asked  Ruth. 

"  Oh,  some  years." 


g8       THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  But  isn't  the  unjust  charge  outlawed  now?" 
Alice  wanted  to  know. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,  Miss.  Such  things  are  never 
outlawed.  I  daren't  go  t'  an  English  port,  an' 
that's  hampered  me.  I  have  to  take  what  berths 
I  can  get." 

"  Can't  you  disprove  the  mutiny  charge  ?  "  asked 
Ruth. 

"  Not  unless  some  of  them  involved  was  to 
confess,  Miss.  An'  land  knows  where  those 
fellers  are  now.  They've  disappeared  with  th' 
captain  an'  Mike  Tullane.  Of  course  if  I  could 
find  either  one  of  them,  I  could  prove  my  inno- 
cence, an'  then  I'd  be  free  t'  go  where  I  pleased. 
But  I've  about  given  that  up,  Miss. 

"  So  I  sort  of  come  t'  anchor  in  th'  Sailors' 
Snug  Harbor,  an'  when  I  heard  about  this  movin' 
picture  business,  and  th'  chance  it  gave  t'  make  a 
little  money,  I  took  it.  But  when  it  comes  t' 
doin'  some  crime  for  it,  I  draws  th'  line.  As  I 
said,  I've  always  lived  honest,  man  and  boy,  for 
many  years,  an'  that  one  charge  is  th'  only  one 
against  me.  I'm  not  goin'  t'  take  them  papers, 
and  substitute  false  ones." 

"  But  you  don't  exactly  understand,"  Ruth  said 
with  a  smile.  "  I  am  going  to  explain  it  to  you. 
Mr.  Pertell  said  I  might.  Now  here  is  the  story 
we  are  supposed  to  act  out;  and,  mind  you,  it  is 


THE  MARY  ELLEN 


39 


only  supposing — make  believe,  as  we  children 
used  to  say." 

"Oh,  it's  make  believe;  is  it?"  asked  Jack 
Jepson. 

"  Yes,  just  make-believe." 

"  I  had  a  little  gal  once — long  years  ago,"  he 
said  softly,  "  an'  she  used  to  be  great  on  make- 
believe  games.  Is  this  takin'  of  them  papers  a 
make  believe  game  ?  " 

"  Exactly !  "  chimed  in  Alice.  "  My  sister  and 
I  have  to  pretend  every  day.    It's  fun !  " 

"  Well,  of  course  I  didn't  know  that,"  said 
Jack.  "  Maybe  I  made  a  mistake  in  bein'  so 
quick.  There  was  nothin'  wrong  in  it?  "  he  ques- 
tioned. 

"  Not  the  least  in  the  world,"  said  Ruth.  "  It 
is  just  a  game,  played  for  the  amusement  of  the 
public.  I'll  explain,"  and  from  the  typewritten 
scenario  she  held  she  went  over  the  outlines  of 
the  big  marine  drama,  as  one  of  the  authors  of 
the  Comet  company  had  written  it.  As  she  gave 
the  details,  the  simple,  kindly  face  of  the  sailor 
cleared.    His  doubts  vanished. 

"  Say,  wasn't  I  th'  old  landlubber  though !  "  he 
cried.  "  T  think  I  thought  I  was  really  com- 
mittin'  a  crime.    Ha!    Ha!" 

"  Well,  your  past  experience  had  made  you 
careful,"  Alice  said. 

"  That's  what  it  had,  Miss.     It's  no  fun  t'  be 


4° 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


barred  from  the  ports  of  the  country  that  has 
more  of  'em  than  any  nation  of  the  world.  It 
hampers  a  man.  But  I  daren't  go  on  British 
soil." 

"  Could  they  come  here  and  take  you  ?  "  asked 
Ruth. 

The  old  man  looked  around  before  replying. 

t,:  They  maybe  wouldn't  know  me,"  he  hoarsely 
whispered.  "  I've  grown  a  beard  since  those 
days." 

'  "  Well,  then,  how  would  the  British  authorities 
know  you?"  asked  Alice  with  a  smile. 

"  I'm  not  takin'  any  chances,  Miss,"  was  the 
answer.  And  though  it  might  seem  to  an  outsider 
that  it  would  be  safe,  under  those  circumstances, 
for  Jepson  to  visit  British  ports,  if  he  kept  away 
from  the  island  where  he  had  been  imprisoned, 
he  could  not  see  it  that  way. 

"  No  sir!  "  he  exclaimed.  "  No  British  ports 
for  mine!  " 

By  this  time  Mr.  DeVere,  who  had  been 
engaged  in  finishing  a  few  scenes  in  a  play  that 
had  started  the  day  before,  came  up  to  join  his 
daughters. 

"  Well,  how  is  the  great  marine  drama  coming 
on  ?  "  he  asked,  his  voice  being  more  hoarse  than 
usual.  He  had  done  some  talking,  as  he  found  it 
helped  to  give  a  better  idea  of  the  characters  he 
portrayed,  but  it  was  not  necessary,  in  these  pic-. 


THE  MARY  ELLEN 


41 


ture  plays,  to  get  his  voice  "  over  the  foot- 
lights." 

"  There  has  been  a  halt,"  explained  Ruth  with 
a  smile.  "  This  is  Jack  Jepson,  Father.  He  is  to 
have  one  of  the  principal  parts,  but  he  balked  at 
some  underhand  work,  and — " 

"  Pleased  t'  know  you,"  Jack  broke  in  with  a 
jerky  bow.  "  Your  daughter's  a  smart  gal,"  he 
said.  "  She  made  everything  as  clear  as  daylight 
t'  me.    I'm  goin'  on  with  th'  play  now." 

"  That  is  when  Mr.  Pertell  is  ready,"  put  in 
Alice.  "  He  seems  to  have  found  some  difficulty 
in  that  cowboy  drama." 

This  was  evident,  for  the  Western  play  had 
been  stopped,  and  the  camera  operator,  with  a 
weary  look  on  his  face,  was  leaning  against  a 
post,  as  if  in  despair  of  ever  completing  that  day's 
run  of  film. 

"  No,  no,  Mr.  Bunn,  you  must  not  do  it  that 
way,"  the  manager  was  saying.  "  When  Ardite, 
in  the  character  of  the  young  outlaw,  shoots  at 
you,  stand  up  without  flinching.  That's  your 
part — to  be  indifferent  to  gunfire." 

"  Oh,  that's  my  part,  is  it  ?  Just  to  be  shot  at !  " 
cried  the  old  "  Ham  "  actor.  "  Well,  it's  a  mighty 
poor  part,  that's  all  I've  got  to  say !  It  will  be  the 
last  time  I  ever  take  a  part  like  that.  Oh,  why  did 
I  ever  leave  the  legitimate  stage?  " 


42 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


"  Ha !  Maybe  it  was  because  the  stage  would 
have  left  you,  had  you  not  left  it,"  said  Mr. 
Switzer,  who  was  dressed  up  as  a  German 
comedian,  and  taking  part  in  another  play. 

"  Ha !  What  is  that  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Bunn  pom- 
pously. But  Mr.  Switzer  did  not  repeat  his  re- 
mark.   He  was  called  to  resume  his  part. 

"Now  Mr.  Bunn,  stand  up  and  be  shot  at!" 
commanded  Mr.  Pertell.  "  Come,  come !  We 
can't  lose  all  day  on  this  little  play.  I've  got  to 
get  busy  on  the  marine  drama,  and  I  want  some 
of  you  in  that.    Ready  with  that  gun  now,  Paul !  " 

"  Yes,  shoot  him ! "  murmured  Mr.  Pepper 
Sneed,  the  human  grouch.  "  Aim  it  right  at  him. 
Of  course  they  are  only  blank  cartridges,"  he 
added  cheerfully,  "but  if  the  wadding  hits  you 
Bunn,  lockjaw  is  almost  sure  to  follow.  Go  on 
and  shoot.  I  know  something  will  happen,"  and 
he  looked  as  though  he  would  be  disappointed  if 
his  prophesy  were  not  borne  out.  "  Go  on, 
shoot!" 

"  No !  No !  I  protest !  I  withdraw  from  this 
play ! "  cried  Mr.  Bunn,  looking  around  for  his 
tall  hat,  without  which  he  seldom  was  seen.  It 
was  his  one  remnant  of  departed  glory. 

"  No,  you'll  not  withdraw !  "  cried  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  We've  got  half  the  film  run  off  with  you  on, 
and  you've  got  to  stick  it  out.     Go  on,  Paul 


THE  MARY  ELLEN  43 

And,  Mr.  Sneed,  you  needn't  trouble  to  stand 
here  and  look  on,  as  you're  not  in  this  cast.  You 
have  a — depressing  effect." 

Mr.  Sneed  certainly  did.  However,  he  moved 
away,  and  the  play  went  on.  It  was  successfully 
filmed,  and  then  Mr.  Pertell  was  free  to  take  up, 
where  he  had  left  off,  the  discussion  of  the  pre- 
liminaries of  the  marine  drama.  "  Out  on  The 
Deep  "  it  was  to  be  called. 

"  Well,  how  about  it?  "  asked  the  manager,  as 
he  approached  the  moving  picture  girls,  their 
father  and  sailor  Jack.  "  Have  you  succeeded  in 
convincing  him  ?  " 

"  That's  what  they  have,  Mr.  Pertell,"  the  old 
salt  said.  "  I'm  sorry  I  made  such  a  fuss  about 
those  false  papers.  I  didn't  know  it  was  only 
make-believe." 

"  Well,  if  that  difficulty  is  over  with,  we'll  go 
on,  though  we  can  do  only  a  few  of  the  simple 
scenes  today,"  the  manager  said. 

"Do  you  understand  the  play?"  he  asked  of 
Mr.  DeVere. 

"  Not  altogether.  I  will  look  over  the 
scenario." 

"  I  can  save  you  the  trouble,"  the  manager 
went  on.  "  I'll  outline  it  briefly  for  you.  '  Out 
on  the  Deep,'  is,  as  you  can  tell  by  the  name,  a 
marine  story.  Part  of  it  will  take  place  in  a 
sailors'  home.     That  will  be  the  Snug  Harbor, 


44 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


where  I  found  Jack  Jepson.  We  will  go  over  to 
Staten  Island  some  day  and  film  those  scenes. 

"  Another  part  of  the  drama  will  take  place  in 
a  shipping  office.  Of  course  that  will  be  a  studio 
scene,  taken  right  here.  I  was  starting  in  on  that 
when  Jack  balked." 

"  Well,  I  won't  again,"  the  sailor  promised. 

"  Glad  to  hear  it,"  came  from  the  manager. 
"  But  the  big  part  of  the  play  will  actually  take 
place  on  deep  water,"  Mr.  Pertell  resumed.  "  We 
are  going  out  in  a  big  schooner,  and " 

"A  real  schooner?"  asked  Jack,  eagerly. 

"  Yes,  a  real  schooner.  It  isn't  a  very  good  one, 
but  it  will  answer  our  purpose,  especially  as  we 
have  to  wreck  her,  and  she  will  be  a  total  loss.  I 
had  to  pay  pretty  high  for  her,  too.  But  I  think 
it  will  be  worth  it.  The  shipwreck  scenes,  in  the 
storm,  ought  to  be  great.  And  now,  as  I  have 
decided  to  postpone  the  rehearsal  of  the  play  for 
a  while,  I  think  it  would  be  a  good  plan  for  some 
of  us  to  go  and  look  at  the  Mary  Ellen,  and  get 
familiar  with  her  layout." 

"The  Mary  Ellen!"  cried  Sailor  Jack. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  name  of  the  schooner  I  have 
purchased  to  use  as  a  shipwreck,"  said  the  man- 
ager. 

"  Why— th'  Mary  Ellen!  "  cried  Jack.  "  That 
was  th'  name  of  th'  vessel  where  th'  mutiny  was !  " 
and  he  started  to  his  feet  in  great  excitement. 


CHAPTER  VI 


CAPTAIN  BRISCO 


"  Mutiny  !  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded 
Mr.  Pertell,  a  little  startled  by  the  action  of  the 
old  sailor. 

"That's  just  what  I  mean,  sir!  Oh,  I  forgot 
you  don't  know.  But  I  told  these  young  ladies 
about  me  being  in  a  mutiny,  an'  I'm  under  sus- 
picion in  connection  with  it  still.  I  can't  go  in  an 
English  port,  and  that's  a  nice  blight  to  put  on  a 
man !  "  he  said  indignantly. 

Mr.  Pertell  looked  bewildered. 

"  Perhaps  I  can  explain,"  said  Ruth,  "  and  if  I 
go  wrong,  Jack,  please  correct  me." 

"  That  I  will,  Miss !  "  he  exclaimed. 

Thereupon  Ruth  told  the  whole  story,  much 
more  connectedly,  and  more  briefly,  than  would 
have  been  possible  for  the  old  salt.  But  Ruth 
had  the  knack  of  condensing  a  long  scenario  into 
a  few  words. 

"  Was  that  it?  "  she  asked  Jack,  when  she  had 
finished. 

45 


46      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  That's  it,  Miss,  an'  you  did  me  more  credit 
in  the  story  than  I  deserved." 

"Oh,  no  I  didn't,"  Ruth  said,  smiling.  "I'd 
like  to  help  you  solve  that  mystery,  too — the 
mystery  of  the  disappearance  of  the  captain  and 
Mike  Tullane." 

"That's  it!"  cried  Jack.  "  If  I  could  only 
find  one  of  them,  or  if  some  of  th'  real  muti- 
neers would  confess,  it  would  clear  me  an'  I  could 
be  free  t'  roam  wherever  I  wanted  t'  in  th'  world. 
But  it's  too  much  t'  hope  for  that.  But  you  said 
th'  name  of  th'  vessel  we  was  t'  make  believe  be 
shipwrecked  on  was  th'  Mary  Ellen,  sir,"  and  he 
turned  to  the  manager.  "  The  Mary  Ellen  was 
the  name  of  the  craft  where  the  mutiny  occurred. 
Could  it  be — "  he  paused,  hope  showing  on  his 
eager  face. 

"  No,  there's  hardly  a  chance  that  this  is  the 
same  one,"  said  Mr.  Pertell.  "Mary  Ellen  is  a 
common  name  for  vessels,"  he  went  on,  "  and 
there  must  be  scores  with  it  painted  on  their  bows. 
I  don't  know  anything  about  the  vessel  I  have 
bought,  but  I  doubt  if  she  was  ever  in  a  mutiny. 
She  is  a  very  old  craft,  and  isn't  really  fit  for 
service  now.  But  her  owners  say  she  will  do  for 
what  I  want.  We  are  going  to  take  her  to  South- 
ern waters,  and  the  main  scenes  of  the  drama  will 
be  photographed  aboard  her,  and  around  her." 


CAPTAIN  BRISCO  47 

"  Where  is  the  craft  now,  if  I  may  ask?  "  in- 
quired Mr.  DeVere. 

"  Over  in  Erie  Basin,"  answered  the  manager. 
"  I  am  having  her  fitted  up,  and  a  crew  is  being 
engaged.  Of  course  it  will  be  some  time  before 
we  sail,  but  I  want  to  get  everything  in  readiness. 
So  suppose  we  take  a  run  over  there  now,  and  look 
at  her." 

"  That  suits  me ! "  exclaimed  Jack,  to  whom 
matters  nautical  were  as  the  breath  of  life.  "  And 
I  hope  you'll  sign  me  on,  sir;  when  it  comes  to 
makin'  up  your  crew,  sir." 

"  I  intend  to  ship  you,"  was  the  answer.  "  Cap- 
tain Brisco  said  he  would  need  some  good  officers. 
You  have  a  mate's  certificate,  have  you  not, 
Jack." 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  mighty  glad  and  proud  I'll  be 
to  fill  that  berth,  sir." 

"Oh,  won't  it  be  jolly  to  go  sailing!"  ex- 
claimed Alice.    "  I  shall  just  love  it!  " 

Mr.  DeVere  sighed  resignedly. 

"  I'm  afraid  it  won't  be  very  good  for  your 
throat,  Daddy,"  said  Ruth  in  a  low  tone.  "  The 
damp  air  will  be  sure  to  make  you  cough." 

"  Oh,  well—"  he  began. 

Mr.  Pertell  overheard  what  was  said. 

"  I  don't  like  to  ask  you,  Mr.  DeVere,"  he 
said,  "  to  do  anything  that  will  be  bad  for  your 


48      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

health.  But  I  certainly  need  your  services,  and 
those  of  your  daughters,  in  this  sea  drama. 
Otherwise  I  would  not  ask  you  to  run  any  risks 
with  your  throat. 

"  But  I  will  say  this.  We  shall  not  be  afloat 
until  Summer,  and,  as  we  shall  be  in  a  warm 
climate,  perhaps  the  bad  effects  will  not  be  so  pro- 
nounced." 

"  No,  I  think  so  myself,"  the  old  actor  admit- 
ted. "  It  may  even  do  me  good.  I  will  doctor  up 
in  the  meanwhile.  And  1  realize  that  if  I  do  not 
go,  my  daughters  cannot.  I  would  not  like  to 
have  them  miss  this  fine  opportunity." 

"Oh,  Daddy!  We  wouldn't  go  if  it  harmed 
you !  "  Alice  cried. 

"  Oh,  I  dare  say  I  can  manage,"  her  father  re- 
plied. "  The  new  treatment  I  am  taking  seems 
to  agree  with  me.  Who  knows  ?  Perhaps,  when 
it  comes  time  to  sail,  my  throat  may  not  trouble 
me  at  all." 

"  Let  us  hope  so,"  Alice  broke  in.  "  I  do  so 
love  the  water,  and  the  Southern  sea  will  be  a 
dream !  " 

Perhaps  if  Alice  could  have  looked  ahead,  and 
seen  what  lay  before  her,  she  would  not  have  been 
so  enthusiastic  in  anticipating  the  future. 

Mr.  Pertell  saw  that  the  other  plays  under  way 
in  the  studio  were  running  smoothly,  and  then 


CAPTAIN  BRISCO  49 

prepared  to  take  Mr.  DeVere,  his  daughters,  and 
the  old  sailor  over  to  Erie  Basin,  to  inspect  the 
Mary  Ellen,  as  she  lay  in  her  slip,  being  refitted 
for  another  voyage — her  last — for  she  was  to  rest 
beneath  the  waves  when  she  had  played  her  part 
in  the  moving  picture  play. 

"  I  wish  I  were  going  with  you,"  said  Russ 
Dalwood,  as  Ruth  passed  him  where  he  was  hav- 
ing a  moment's  respite  from  grinding  away  at 
the  crank  of  a  camera. 

"  I  wish  so,  too,"  she  answered,  in  a  low  voice. 

"  But  I've  got  to  stay  here,  and  grind  away  at 
this  film,"  he  said  hopelessly. 

"  We'll  see  you  to-night,"  she  called  to  him,  as 
she  went  out. 

Paul  Ardite  waved  to  Alice  as  she  "  twinkled  " 
her  fingers  at  him.  Paul  was  in  a  cowboy  cos- 
tume, playing  a  scene  in  the  cowboy  story,  which 
seemed  to  be  giving  more  and  more  trouble  as  it 
proceeded. 

"  This  is  the  fifth  time  we've  done  that  act," 
Paul  called  to  Alice  in  an  aside  as  she  passed. 
"  And  all  because  Mr.  Bunn  is  so  fussy.  They'll 
take  him  out,  if  he  isn't  careful.  Where  are  you 
going,  Alice?  " 

"  Over  to  see  Mary  Ellen." 

"  Who's  she?    A  new  actress?  " 

"  Yes,  she's  a  '  she  '  I  suppose,  and  she's  going 


5o 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


to  have  a  big  part  in  a  drama.  I'll  tell  you  about 
it  later." 

The  Mary  Ellen  certainly  did  not  present  a 
very  trim  appearance  as  the  little  party  went 
aboard  her  at  the  dock  in  Erie  Basin.  The  decks 
were  cluttered  up  with  an  assortment  of  ropes, 
planks,  casks,  boxes  and  other  things,  so  that  it 
was  impossible  to  move  about  without  great  care. 
On  coming  in  sight  of  the  craft  Jack  Jepson's 
face  wore  a  look  of  expectancy. 

'"  She  might  be  the  same  Mary  Ellen  that  I  was 
on,"  he  said. 

But  when  he  saw  that  the  craft  had  three  masts, 
whereas  the  ship  where  the  mutiny  had  occurred 
boasted  of  five,  Jack  shook  his  head. 

"  She  isn't  th'  same  ship,"  he  murmured. 

Yet  as  he  stepped  on  deck  he  gave  a  start,  and 
an  exclamation  escaped  his  lips. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Alice,  who  was 
near  him. 

"  Well,  Miss,  you  may  think  it  strange,"  he 
said,  "  but  if  I  had  my  eyes  shut,  I'd  say  I  was  on 
my  old  ship — th'  Mary  Ellen  I  was  tellin'  you 
about." 

"  But  she  had  five  masts,  and  this  one " 

"  Yes,  I  know,  Miss  Alice.  But,  masts  or  no 
masts  there's  somethin'  about  this  craft  that's 
strangely  familiar.    I'm  sure  I've  been  on  her  be- 


CAPTAIN  BRISCO 


51 


fore,  and  yet — no,  it  can't  be — three  masts  can't 
make  five,  no  matter  how  you  count." 

"  Well,  this  is  the  ship,"  said  Mr.  Pertell  to  his 
guests.  "  This  will  be  our  home  when  we  get  her 
fitted  up  in  ship-shape.  I  don't  know  much  about 
such  things  myself,  so  I've  given  Captain  Brisco 
full  charge.    He  is  to  get  her  in  readiness." 

"  Well,  if  you  were  to  ask  me  I  should  say  it 
would  take  the  greater  part  of  a  year  to  get  this 
in  ship-shape,"  said  Ruth.  "  I  never  saw  such 
confusion — never!"  and  she  gazed  about  the 
deck. 

"Why,  Miss,  this  isn't  anythin' — nothin'  at 
all ! "  cried  Jack  Jepson.  "  With  a  few  of  my 
old  shipmates  I  could  get  this  craft  ready  for  a 
voyage  in  half  a  day — that  is,  if  she's  all  right  be- 
low th'  water  line,"  he  added  as  an  afterthought 

"  I'm  trusting  all  that  to  Captain  Brisco,"  said 
Mr.  Pertell.  "  He  was  recommended  to  me  by 
the  ones  from  whom  I  purchased  this  boat.  I 
think  he  will  have  everything  in  ship-shape  for  us 
in  time." 

As  they  stood  looking  about  the  deck  a  man 
came  up  from  below.  From  his  appearance  he 
was  unmistakably  a  sailor,  and  one  in  authority. 
He  issued  several  orders,  on  hearing  which  a 
number  of  men  bestirred  themselves,  and  then, 


52 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


catching  sight  of  the  little  party,  he  called  out  in 
rough  tones. 

"  Come  now !  What's  this  ?  No  visitors  are 
allowed  on  board  here.    Get  ashore  at  once !  " 

"Hello,  Captain  Brisco!"  called  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  That  is,  if  that's  the  proper  nautical  greeting." 

"Oh,  Mr.  Pertell.  I  didn't  recognize  you," 
said  the  commander  of  the  Mary  Ellen.  "  I  beg 
your  pardon !    Won't  you  walk  this  way  ?  " 

"  We  are  on  a  little  tour  of  inspection,"  the 
manager  went  on.  "  These  are  some  of  my  prin- 
ciple moving  picture  actors,  and  I  want  them  to 
get  familiar  with  the  ship.  And,  Captain  Brisco, 
this  is  an  old  salt  who  will  be  with  us.  He  is  to 
be  second  mate,  I  believe.  Jack  Jepson,  let  me 
present  you  to  Captain  Brisco." 

A  strange  look  came  over  the  old  salt's  face. 
He  stepped  forward  and  burst  out  with : 

"  I  guess  I've  met  Captain  Brisco  before,  but 
that  wasn't  his  name — then !  " 

Captain  Brisco  started  back  as  though  a  shot 
had  been  fired  near  him. 


CHAPTER  VII 

JEPSON  IS  WORRIED 

For  an  instant  only  did  the  commander  of  the 
Mary  Ellen  show  signs  of  perturbation.  He  re- 
covered himself  with  an  effort,  hardly  obvious  to 
the  moving  picture  girls  who  were  watching.  It 
was  as  though  a  cloud  had  passed  over  the  sun  so 
quickly  as  to  give  an  observer  no  time  to  glance  up 
and  see  it,  before  the  shadow  was  gone.  Then 
Captain  Brisco  smiled. 

"  I  think  you've  made  a  mistake,  my  man,"  he 
said,  with  the  air  of  one  used  to  commanding. 
"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  you,  whether  or  not  you 
think  you  have  had  the  pleasure  of  my  acquain- 
tance.   How  about  it?  " 

He  turned  a  sharp  look  on  Jack  Jepson,  and 
the  latter  faltered.    _ 

"  Well — well,  maybe  I  am  mistaken,"  he  said 
slowly.  "  But  I  sure  did  take  you  for  an  old 
shipmate  of  mine.  I  sure  did — an  old  shipmate," 
and  he  spoke  the  words  slowly. 

"  For  instance — who  ?  "  asked  Captain  Brisco, 
53 


54 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


and  the  words  seemed  to  come  out  like  the  closing 
of  the  jaws  of  a  steel  trap. 

"  Oh — er — you  wouldn't  know  if  I  told  you," 
said  Jack.     "  I  guess  I  was  mistaken,"  he  added. 

"  And  I'm  sure  of  it,"  Captain  Brisco  said, 
coolly.  "  I  don't  know  many  in  these  parts,  for 
I've  been  away  for  some  time.  And — er — who 
might  you  be  ?  "  he  asked,  with  more  of  that  com- 
manding air. 

"  This  is  the  sailor  who  will  be  one  of  your 
mates  on  our  little  trip,"  explained  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  You  said  you  would  need  officers,  even  for  a 
short  voyage  such  as  we  intend  making,  so  I 
picked  up  Jack  Jepson.    Do  you  think  he'll  do  ?  " 

"  Depends  on  how  much  he  knows  of  naviga- 
tion," was  the  sharp  answer. 

"  Oh,  I  have  my  certificate,"  Jack  answered. 
"  If  you  want  t'  see  it  I  have  it " 

"  Never  mind  now,"  interposed  Captain  Brisco. 
"  There  are  a  thousand  and  one  things  to  do,  and 
nothing  seems  to  be  going  right.  Lay  aloft  there, 
some  of  you !  "  he  cried  to  a  group  of  men.  "  Get 
those  halyards  reeved  and  straightened  out. 
Think  we're  going  to  lie  here  all  Summer? 
Lively  now!  I  think  I  could  use  you,  if  you've 
any  knack  of  handling  men,"  he  added  in  lower 
tones,  turning  to  Jack.  "  It's  slow  work,  getting 
fitted  out." 


JEPSON  IS  WORRIED  55 

"  I  could  come  any  time,"  Jepson  answered,  and 
Alice  noted  that  the  old  sailor  gazed  furtively 
now  and  then  at  the  captain.  It  was  as  though  he 
wanted  to  impress  his  memory  with  the  face  of 
the  commander.  "  I'm  over  in  Sailors'  Snug 
Harbor,"  Jepson  went  on,  "  I  came  over  to  do 
some  actin' " 

"  Yes,  this  play  acting  business  is  new  to  me, 
too,"  said  Captain  Brisco.  "  But  I  suppose  I 
can  get  used  to  it.  Seems  rather  queer  to  go  to  all 
this  work  and  expense,"  he  went  on  to  Mr.  Per- 
tell,  "just  to  fit  a  schooner  out,  and  then  sink  her. 
It's  a  waste  of  good  money,  I  should  say." 

"  We'll  get  our  money  back,  never  fear,  if  the 
film  turns  out  all  right,"  said  Mr.  Pertell.  "  Nov/ 
how  are  you  coming  on?  That's  what  I  came  to 
see.  I  want  some  of  my  principal  actors  to  get 
familiar  with  the  ship,  so  brought  them  down. 
I  started  with  Jepson,  up  in  the  studio,"  he  added 
in  a  lower  voice,  for  the  benefit  of  Captain  Brisco, 
"  but  he  balked.  I'll  tell  you  about  it  later.  He 
can  stay  and  help  you  if  you  like." 

"  Well,  I  probably  can  use  him,"  the  com- 
mander said,  as  he  looked  at  Jepson,  who  was 
wandering  about  the  deck  with  a  curiously  ab- 
stracted air. 

"  Sort  of  funny  thinking  he  knew  you,  wasn't 
it  ?  "  commented  Mr.  Pertell,  while  Alice,  Ruth 


56 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


and  Mr.  DeVere  looked  on  with  interest  at  the 
various  activities  connected  with  getting  the 
Mary  Ellen  ready  for  sea. 

"  Oh,  not  at  all  queer,"  answered  Captain 
Brisco,  quickly.  "  I  have  commanded  so  many 
men  and  ships  in  my  day  that  I  must  be  familiar 
by  name,  at  least,  to  hundreds  of  sailors.  But  I 
never  saw  this  Jepson  before.  However,  he  seems 
to  be  a  good,  honest  soul." 

"  Too  honest,  by  far !  "  laughed  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  He  wouldn't  even  pretend  to  take  some  false 
papers  to  carry  out  a  film  idea.  Said  he'd  been  in 
enough  trouble  over  being  falsely  accused  in  a 
mutiny ! " 

"  A  mutiny !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Brisco.  "  A 
mutiny! " 

"  Yes.  Why,  is  that  remarkable  ?  "  asked  the 
manager,  for  Captain  Brisco  seemed  startled. 

"  No,  oh,  no !  I  don't  know  as  it  is.  I  was 
only  thinking  if  he  was  given  to  starting  mutinies, 
he  wouldn't  be  a  safe  man  to  have  on  board  here." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  fear  for  Jepson,"  the  man- 
ager said.  "  He  was  innocent  in  that  mutiny 
affair,  I  believe.  But  now  as  to  details.  I  want 
to  consult  with  you  in  regard  to  certain  matters." 

And  while  the  captain  and  manager  sought  a 
quiet  corner,  where  they  might  converse,  and  go 
over  the  plot  of  the  great  marine  drama,  Alice 


JEPSON  IS  WORRIED  57 

and  Ruth  wandered  about  the  ship.  The  sailors 
who  were  fitting  her  out  looked  curiously  at  the 
girls  as  they  went  to  and  fro.  Mr.  DeVere  found 
a  sheltered  spot  where  he  said  he  would  wait  until 
Mr.  Pertell  was  finished  with  the  captain. 

"  Does  your  throat  pain  you  much  ? "  asked 
Alice  solicitously. 

"  Oh,  not  as  much  as  I  expected,  coming  so 
near  the  water.  I  think  it  will  be  all  right. 
Don't  worry." 

"  Isn't  it  perfectly  wonderful,  to  think  we're 
going  to  be  on  board  this  schooner !  "  exclaimed 
Alice  to  her  sister.  "  And  are  we  going  to  sleep 
here  and  eat  here,  Jack  ?  "  i;he  asked,  as  the  old 
sailor  came  toward  Jhem. 

"  Well,  Miss,  if  you  goes  on  a  voyage  you  can't 
walk  off  th'  ship  whenever  you  want  to,  you  know, 
to  get  a  berth,  and  some  grub.  I  mean  something 
to  eat  and  a  place  to  sleep,"  he  quickly  translated. 
"  You  has  to  stay  right  on  board  until  the  voyage 
ends." 

"  Oh,  and  could  we  see  where  we  sleep  ?  "  asked 
Ruth. 

"  The  staterooms?  Yes,  of  course,"  said  Cap- 
tain Brisco,  who  with  Mr.  Pertell  came  forward 
just  then.  "  Jepson,  take  the  Jadies  below.  If 
you're  a  sailor  you  don't  need  t<3  be  told  the  way." 

"  No,  sir,"  was  the  respectful  answer.     Jack 


58 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


seemed  to  have  acquired  new  dignity  since  coming 
aboard ;  and  it  was  noticeable,  a  little  later,  that  he 
took  more  pains  with  his  talk,  being  more  gram- 
matical, and  pronouncing  his  words  better,  as  be- 
fitted a  mate. 

"  And  I  want  to  see  where  they  do  the  cook- 
ing," remarked  Ruth.  "  What  is  it  they  call  it — 
the  alley?" 

"  The  galley,"  corrected  Alice.  "  Don't  you  re- 
member? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  so  it  is.  What  a  funny  name  for  a 
kitchen." 

"  This  way,"  directed  Jack,  as  he  started  for 
the  companionway.  Meanwhile  Mr.  Pertell  and 
Captain  Brisco,  having  settled  on  certain  details, 
called  Mr.  DeVere  into  consultation,  since  that 
actor  was  to  have  a  prominent  part  in  the  scenes 
that  would  take  place  aboard  the  ship. 

Jack  Jepson  led  his  two  pretty  charges  below, 
where  some  men  were  also  at  work.  They  in- 
spected the  sleeping  quarters,  the  galley  and  other 
parts  of  the  ship.  Then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Alice 
they  penetrated  to  the  men's  quarters — the  fore- 
castle, or  "  fo'cas'l,"  as  Jack  pronounced  it,  sailor- 
fashion. 

As  they  passed  two  carpenters  doing  some 
"  patch-work,"  Jack  paused  and  looked  closely  at 


JEPSON  IS  WORRIED  59 

what  they  were  doing.  Suddenly  he  turned  to 
Alice  and  asked: 

"  Is  this  craft  to  make  a  voyage  all  by  her- 
self?" 

"  A  short  one — yes,"  Alice  answered,  for  she 
had  looked  over  the  scenario.  "  Why  do  you 
ask?" 

"  Oh,  nothin' — nothin' — ,"  answered  Jack  Jep- 
son.  "  Only,  oh,  well,  I  s'pose  it's  all  right,"  he 
went  on.  But  as  he  led  the  way  forward  Ruth 
noticed  a  look  of  worriment  on  the  face  of  the 
old  sailor.  It  was  so  evident  that  it  startled  her — ■ 
the  more  so  as  she  heard  him  murmur : 

"  Going  all  by  herself;  eh?  Well,  she  certainly 
needs  a  consort." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

HARD    WORK 

Ruth  took  advantage  of  the  first  opportunity 
to  question  Sailor  Jack  Jepson.  The  memory  of 
that  look  on  his  face  haunted  her.  But  it  was  not 
until  they  had  come  from  the  Mary  Ellen  that 
Ruth  found  her  chance. 

While  on  board,  arrangements  had  been  made 
for  taking  some  of  the  preliminary  scenes  of  the 
marine  drama,  and  Mr.  Pertell  urged  Captain 
Brisco  to  hasten,  as  much  as  he  could,  the  prepa- 
rations for  the  voj^age. 

But  finally,  when  Alice  and  her  father  had  gone 
on  ahead,  walking  with  Mr.  Pertell,  and  were 
deep  in  ,.  discussion  about  a  certain  scene,  Ruth 
found  a  chance  to  ask : 

"  Didn't  you  like  what  you  saw  downstairs  in 
the  Mary  Ellen,  Jack  ?  " 

"Downstairs,  Miss?"  the  sailor  questioned,  a 
puzzled  look  on  his  face. 

**  Or  whatever  the  right  sea-term  is  for  under 
the  deck?  "  she  went  on. 

"  Oh,  you  mean  below." 
60 


HARD  WORK  6l 

"  Yes,  didn't  you  like  what  you  saw  below  ? " 
asked  Ruth. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Miss  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  didn't  seem  altogether  pleased.  I 
don't  want  them  to  hear,"  she  went  on,  motioning 
to  her  father  and  sister,  "  but  you  looked  wor- 
ried.    Was  anything — wrong  ?  " 

"  Wrong?  No,  Miss,  not  exactly  wrong.  But 
some  of  them  fellers  didn't  seem  to  know  their 
business  in  repairin'  a  ship,  that  was  all.  But  we 
aren't  go  in'  on  much  of  a  voyage,  so  I  don't 
s'pose  it  matters — much." 

"  But  we  are  going  on  a  pretty  long  trip,  and 
for  a  time  we'll  all  be  alone  on  board  the  Mary 
Ellen,  some  distance  from  land,"  Ruth  said.  "  I 
know,  for  I've  read  the  outlines." 

"  Is  that  so,  Miss?  Why — I — I  didn't  exactly 
know  that.    I  wonder  if  I'd  better " 

Before  Jack  Jepson  could  continue  Mr.  Pertell 
turned  back  and  called : 

"  Oh,  I  believe  I  forgot  to  tell  you  people,  but 
we  are  also  to  have  a  motorboat  in  connection 
with  the  Mary  Ellen.  A  big,  powerful  gasoline 
craft,  she  is,  called  the  Ajax.  She'll  follow  us, 
part  of  the  time,  for  some  of  the  pictures  have 
to  be  taken  from  a  distance,  as  she  trails  along  at 
the  stern.  We'll  have  plenty  of  time  for  re- 
hearsal, though." 


62      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Ah,  a  motorboat  to  follow  us.  Then  there 
isn't  so  much  danger,"  said  Jack  Jepson,  and  he 
seemed  talking  to  himself. 

"Danger!"  exclaimed  Ruth.  "What  do  you 
mean  by  that?  " 

"  Danger  ?  Did  I  say  danger,  Miss  ?  "  he  asked, 
and  again  Ruth  was  surprised  at  the  strange  look 
on  his  face. 

"  You  certainly  did  say  it,"  she  replied. 

"  Well,  I  didn't  mean  it,"  he  said,  though  he 
spoke  with  an  obvious  effort.  "  I  meant  it  would 
be  much  more  company — company  for  you  folks 
as  aren't  used  to  sailin'  the  seas.  That's  all,  Miss. 
Oh,  no,  there's  no  real  danger — that  is  there 
won't  be  to  you,  as  long  as  old  Jack  Jepson  can 
ward  it  off,"  he  murmured  under  his  breath. 

The  little  party  went  back  to  the  studio,  and, 
after  lunch,  some  of  the  easiest  and  less  impor- 
tant scenes  in  the  marine  drama  were  rehearsed. 
Sailor  Jack  soon  understood  what  was  wanted  of 
him,  and  did  very  well.  Ruth  and  Alice  took 
pleasure  in  coaching  the  honest,  simple  old  salt. 
His  too-conscientious  scruples  about  doing  a  seem- 
ingly wrongful  act  were  overcome  when  it  was 
explained  to  him,  and  he  went  through  the  scene 
in  the  studio  shipping  office  very  well. 

"  And  that  will  be  all  you'll  have  to  do  for  a 
few  days,"   Manager  Pertell  told  him.     "  You 


HARD  WORK  63 

will  not  be  needed  to  take  part  in  any  scenes  until 
we  get  ready  for  the  second  act.  Meanwhile  you 
had  better  arrange  to  stay  aboard  the  Mary  Ellen, 
while  she  is  in  the  Erie  Basin,  and  help  Captain 
Brisco." 

"  That  I  will !  Aye,  aye,  sir !  "  exclaimed  Jack. 
"  And  it'll  be  a  relief  to  be  where  I  can  feel  the 
heave  of  a  deck,  even  if  the  craft  is  anchored,  and 
to  smell  the  real  salt  water  again.  I'll  go  aboard 
as  soon  as  I  can  get  back  to  the  Snug  Harbor, 
and  stow  my  dunnage  in  a  bag." 

He  really  seemed  delighted  to  make  the  change, 
and  the  worried  look  left  his  face,  though  Ruth 
could  not  forget  the  shadow  it  had  cast.  What 
did  it  mean?  She  asked  herself  this  over  and 
over  again. 

Meanwhile  there  was  hard  work  for  the  mov- 
ing picture  girls  and  Mr.  DeVere.  A  company 
engaged  in  the  making  of  films  does  not  content 
itself  with  merely  producing  one  big  play.  There 
are  any  number  of  small  reels  that  are  needed,  as 
"  fillers."  Some  of  them  are  called  "  split  reels," 
meaning  that  there  are  two  plays,  or  sketches,  on 
each  one.  And  in  the  intervals  of  going  through 
scenes  in  "  Out  on  The  Deep,"  or  rehearsing  for 
them,  Ruth  and  Alice  took  part,  with  others  of 
the  Comet  organization,  in  the  making  of  many 
pictures. 


64      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

Several  weeks  went  by  in  this  way.  Spring 
was  gradually  turning  into  Summer,  to  the  de- 
light of  the  girls,  who  loved  the  outdoors.  Of 
course  they  loved  Winter,  too,  for  they  had  many 
outdoor  scenes  to  take  part  in  then,  since  snow 
effects  are  always  easy  to  photograph. 

"  But  Summer  is  the  best !  "  cried  Alice,  gaily 
dancing  about  the  studio,  after  she  had  finished 
in  a  little  comedy  scene,  one  day. 

"  I  think  so,  too,"  agreed  Ruth. 

"  And  when  we  get  out  on  the  deep  blue  sea," 
the  younger  girl  added,  "  it  will  be  ideal.  Oh,  I 
can  hardly  wait  for  the  Mary  Ellen  to  start  on  her 
last  voyage.  Isn't  it  too  bad  she  has  to  be  sunk  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"  Yes,  it  is  rather  tragic,"  agreed  Ruth.  "  I 
hope  we  get  far  enough  away  when  she  takes  her 
last  plunge  beneath  the  waves,"  she  added  with  an 
involuntary  shudder. 

"  Oh,  trust  Captain  Brisco  for  that,"  Alice  said. 

"  I  had  rather  trust — Sailor  Jack  Jepson,"  mur- 
mured Ruth  in  a  low  voice. 

Meanwhile  work  on  refitting  the  schooner  had 
gone  on  apace.  The  moving  picture  girls,  and 
their  friends,  had  paid  several  visits  to  her,  and 
found  Captain  Brisco,  Jack  Jepson  and  the  others 
hard  at  work  making  the  vessel  a  semblance  of 
her  former  self. 


HARD  WORK  65 

"  She's  an  old  tub,"  said  Jack  to  the  girls,  "  but 
she's  in  better  shape  than  she  was  when  you  were 
here  afore,  Missies." 

And  indeed  the  Mary  Ellen  did  seem  so.  A 
new  coat  of  paint  added  as  much  to  her  appear- 
ance, as  a  new  dress  and  hat  does  to  a  young 
lady,  though  Mary  Ellen  could  no  longer  be 
classed  as  young. 

Then  came  a  day  when  many  members  of  the 
theatrical  company,  including  Jack  Jepson,  who 
now  enjoyed  that  distinction,  were  taken  down 
to  the  seacoast,  some  distance  from  New  York. 
They  went  in  a  tug  specially  hired  for  the  occa- 
sion. 

"  Some  of  the  scenes  of  the  marine  drama  take 
place  on  the  seacoast,"  explained  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  I  want  to  get  them  now,  when  we  have  the 
chance.  I  need  a  rocky  shore,  and  this  is  the 
nearest  one  we  can  reach.  Get  ready  now.  We 
have  rehearsed  these  scenes,  you  remember." 

They  were  not  easy  scenes,  and,  even  though 
they  had  been  gone  over  in  the  studio,  when  it 
came  to  actually  going  through  them  on  the  beach, 
one  difficulty  after  another  arose. 

In  the  first  place  it  was  a  raw,  windy  day,  and 
there  was  a  pretty  high  sea,  dashing  up  among 
the  rocks  of  the  shore,  and  sending  a  spray  over 
toward  the  cameras. 


66      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  I  can't  do  anything  from  this  point !  "  finally 
complained  Russ  Dalwood,  who  was  at  the  ma- 
chine. "  I've  spoiled  about  a  hundred  feet  of 
film  now.    We'll  have  to  get  around  that  point." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Mr.  Pertell,  "but  the 
scenery  isn't  so  good  there." 

But  when  one  difficulty  was  disposed  of  another 
one  was  found.  Mr.  Bunn  made  trouble  when  he 
was  asked  to  do  a  certain  "  fall "  in  the  water. 
He  complained  that  he  did  not  want  to  spoil  his 
tall  hat. 

"  Oh,  you  and  your  tall  hat !  "  impatiently  ex- 
claimed the  manager.  "  Go  on  with  that  scene,  I 
tell  you!" 

"  But  I — er — I — "  expostulated  the  old  actor. 

Before  he  could  make  further  objection  a  mist 
of  heavy  spray  dashed  over  him,  thoroughly  wet- 
ting his  beloved  hat. 

"There!"  cried  Mr.  Pertell.  "Your  tile  is 
spoiled  anyhow,  now  go  on  and  fall  in.  It  can't 
get  any  wetter!  " 

"  Oh,  what  a  life !  What  a  life !  "  groaned  the 
"  Ham  "  actor,  but  he  went  through  the  "  busi- 
ness." Perhaps  he  realized  that  other  engage- 
ments were  not  any  too  plentiful  for  men  of  his 
talent. 

Nor  did  Ruth  and  Alice  have  an  easy  time. 
They  had  to  scramble  over  rocks,  they  had  to  es- 


HARD  WORK  fy 

cape  from  smugglers,  they  had  to  hide  in  caves, 
and  once  Alice  had  to  fall  down  on  the  rocks,  and 
pretend  to  be  hurt.  It  was  a  very  real  fall,  too, 
and  she  did  not  have  to  make  much  of  a  pretense 
at  limping. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  sorry !  "  exclaimed  Paul  Ardite, 
hastening  to  her  side.  "  Shall  I  carry  you  ?  "  he 
asked  eagerly. 

"  No  indeed.    I'm  all  right.    I  just " 

"  Keep  back  there,  Paul !  Keep  back !  "  cried 
Mr.  Pertell.  "  Don't  get  in  range  and  spoil  the 
picture.  That's  fine,  Miss  DeVere.  It's  very 
natural — that  limp !  " 

"  It  ought  to  be !  "  murmured  Alice,  biting  her 
lips  to  keep  back  an  exclamation  of  pain.  "  It's 
real  enough,  especially  the  pain." 

Moving  picture  acting  is  not  all  as  easy  as  it 
seems. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  RISING  TIDE 


"  Well,  that's  very  good,  so  far,"  said  Mr. 
Pertell,  when  there  came  a  lull  in  the  taking  of 
the  preliminary  scenes  of  the  marine  film.  "  A 
little  more  life  wouldn't  have  hurt  any,  but  the 
conditions  aren't  just  the  best.  It  was  fairly  well 
done." 

"  Huh !  Fairly  well  done !  "  exclaimed  Pepper 
Sneed.  "  I  wonder  what  he  wants,  anyhow  ?  I 
nearly  broke  my  neck  scrambling  over  those 
rocks,  and  the  skin  is  all  gone  from  the  palms  of 
my  hands,  and  all  he  says  is  that  it  was  *  fairly 
well  done ! '    I  wonder  what  he  wants,  anyhow  ?  " 

"  Ha !  He  vants  dot  you  shouldt  altogedder 
preak  your  neck,  ain't  it  ?  "  put  in  Mr.  Switzer. 
"  Dot  vould  be  a  real  funny  picture,  alretty  yet !  " 
he  went  on  in  his  favorite  character  of  a  Dutch 
comedian.  "  Preak  your  neck,  Mr.  Sneed,  und 
let  Russ  make  der  picture." 

"Ha!  I  think  I  see  myself!"  exclaimed  the 
"  grouch,"  as  he  looked  for  a  seaweed-cushioned 
6& 


THE  RISING  TIDE  69 

rock  whereon  to  sit.  "  There's  been  a  lot  of 
trouble  today,  but,  mark  my  words,  there'll  be 
more  before  we  have  finished.  That's  all  I've  got 
to  say,"  and  by  the  sour  look  on  his  face  anyone 
would  have  thought  that  he  rejoiced  in  his  predic- 
tion of  trouble  to  come. 

"  What  is  the  matter  now  ?  "  asked  Ruth,  com- 
ing up  in  time  to  hear  part  of  the  discussion. 

"  Oh,  Pepper  is  sure  the  world  is  going  to  come 
to  an  end  before  the  public  has  a  chance  to  see 
him  in  his  great  rescue  act  of  '  Out  on  The 
Deep,'  I  guess,"  replied  Paul  Ardite.  "  Cheer 
up !  "  he  added.    "  The  worst  is  yet  to  come." 

"  You're  right  there,"  agreed  Mr.  Sneed, 
darkly.  "  There'll  be  an  accident  before  this  day 
is  over,  mark  my  words !  " 

"  Oh,  Alice,  are  you  hurt  ?  asked  Ruth 
quickly,  as  she  saw  her  sister  limping  toward  her, 
for  the  little  scene  in  which  Alice  had  slipped  and 
hurt  her  ankle,  had  taken  place  when  Ruth  was 
busy  in  another  part  of  the  play,  farther  down  the 
shore  line. 

"  It  isn't  anything,"  the  younger  girl  answered, 
bravely  keeping  back  an  exclamation  of  pain. 

"Will  you  be  able  to  go  on?"  Mr.  Pertell 
asked.  He  had  followed  Alice,  when  the  scene 
closed,  and  when  he  had  stopped  Paul  in  time  to 
prevent  the  photographs  from  being  spoiled. 


jQ      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  can  go  on,  of  course,"  Alice  said, 
with  an  effort. 

"  Because  you  have  some  important  parts  yet  to 
do,"  the  manager  continued.  He  was  not  as 
heartless  as  this  sounds.  Really  he  was  most 
kind  and  considerate.  Yet  he  knew  the  pictures 
must  be  made  and  the  present  was  the  best  time. 
If  there  were  a  delay,  there  was  no  telling  what 
might  intervene. 

He  knew  that  Alice  herself  realized  this.  She 
would  not  give  up  unless  positively  unable  to  go 
on.  The  general  public  little  realizes  how  often 
those  who  entertain  them  do  so  under  positive 
pain  and  suffering.  Of  course  moving  picture 
scenes  can  be  postponed  more  easily  than  can 
those  in  a  real  theatre.  But  the  general  rule  holds 
good  for  the  movies,  as  for  the  legitimate.  "  The 
show  must  go  on !  "  That  is  the  watchword  of 
manager  and  player  alike.  "  The  show  must  go 
on!" 

"  I  have  a  bottle  of  arnica  with  me,"  said  Mrs. 
Maguire,  the  "  old  lady  "  of  the  company.  "  I 
heard  we  were  to  do  some  rock-scrambling  today 
and  I  brought  it  along.  I'll  rub  some  of  it  on  your 
ankle,"  she  said  to  Alice. 

"  Yes,  doctor  her  up  a  bit,"  advised  Mr.  Pertell. 
w  She's  too  important  to  be  left  out  of  the  film, 


THE  RISING  TIDE 


7* 


for  a  while  at  least.  I  don't  want  to  force  you, 
Miss  DeVere,"  he  went  on,  "  but  really " 

"  Oh,  I'll  be  able  to  go  on,"  Alice  bravely  said. 
"  It  is  only  a  little  wrench,  I  think." 

Behind  a  screen  of  rocks  Mrs.  Maguire  re- 
moved Alice's  shoe  and  stocking,  and  the  motherly 
old  lady  and  Ruth  bathed  the  injured  foot.  It 
was  not  as  bad  as  Alice  had  feared,  and  when  it 
was  bound  up  again  she  found  she  could  use  it  by 
"  favoring  "  it  slightly.  She  would  not  have  to 
take  part  in  a  scene  for  nearly  an  hour,  and  she 
took  advantage  of  the  rest  afforded  by  the  wait. 

Meanwhile  Mr.  DeVere  and  some  other  mem- 
bers of  the  company  were  going  through  their 
parts.  An  old  fisherman's  hut  had  been  found,  a 
little  way  down  the  beach,  and  for  a  small  sum  of 
money  the  grizzled  old  salt  had  agreed  to  vacate 
for  the  morning,  and  allow  the  moving  picture 
actors  to  use  his  home  as  the  background  for  sev- 
eral scenes. 

"  It  isn't  just  what  the  scenario  calls  for,"  said 
Mr.  Pertell,  "  but  we  can  switch  things  around  at 
the  studio  later,  to  make  it  fit." 

This  is  a  secret  of  more  than  one  film.  The  pro- 
ducer takes  advantage  of  things  as  he  finds  them. 
Often,  after  a  film  has  all  been  planned,  and  the 
pictures  are  being  taken,  a  chance  accident,  or 
incident,  will  suggest  an  advantageous  change, 


72 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


and  it  is  made  on  the  spot.  Later  the  film  is 
"  cut "  or  added  to,  so  that  the  change  fits  in. 

Again,  on  going  to  the  outdoor  scene  called  for 
in  the  scenario,  the  manager  may  see  a  back- 
ground that  suits  him  better  than  one  he  intended 
using.  On  the  spot  he  will  stop  and  have  the  act 
take  place  there,  altering,  or  adapting,  the  plot  of 
the  story  to  fit.  And  many  an  accident  has  been 
turned  to  good  account  in  making  a  film.  But 
these  are  secrets  known  only  to  the  initiated,  and 
the  public  that  sees  the  finished  picture  in  some 
theatre  little  realizes  how  much  chance  had  to  do 
with  its  making. 

Scene  after  scene  was  "  filmed,"  Russ  and  his 
camera  associates  grinding  away  at  the  machines. 
It  was  not  easy  work,  for  the  wind  and  spray 
often  interfered  with  the  clearness  of  the  picture. 
But  of  course  that  only  added  to  the  reality  of  it 
when  the  finished  picture  was  shown. 

"  Now  for  that  scene  on  the  far  rocks,"  called 
Mr.  Pertell  when  he  had  brought  to  a  satisfactory 
conclusion  a  difficult  part  of  the  drama.  "  Are 
you  able  to  go  out  there,  Miss  DeVere  ?  "  and  he 
looked  anxiously  at  Alice. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I'm  much  better,"  she  answered. 

"  All  ready  then !  "  called  the  manager.  "  Russ, 
I  want  one  or  two  *  close-up  '  views  in  this,  so 
prepare  yourself  accordingly." 


THE  RISING  TIDE 


73 


"  All  right,"  answered  the  operator,  who  was 
talking  to  Ruth.  He  put  in  a  fresh  reel  of  film, 
and  adjusted  the  camera. 

A  "  close-up  "  view,  I  might  explain,  is  one 
taken  with  the  person,  or  subject,  very  close  to 
the  camera,  so  that  it  appears  very  large — larger 
than  usual.  For  instance,  it  might  be  necessary, 
in  some  play,  to  show  a  certain  ring.  The  hand 
of  the  person,  with  the  ring  on  the  finger  would 
be  held  close  to  the  camera,  so  that  the  resultant 
picture  on  the  screen  would  show  every  detail  of 
the  ring  clearly.  You  have  often  seen  such  views 
in  moving  pictures,  though  you  may  not  have 
known  what  they  were  technically  called. 

The  "  rock  scene  "  that  was  to  be  filmed  now 
was  to  take  place  out  on  a  little  rocky  group  some 
distance  from  shore.  It  was  reached  by  a  long, 
narrow  rocky  ledge  that  curved  out  into  the  bay. 
Alice,  Ruth  and  Paul  were  to  be  in  this  picture, 
and  Russ  would  plant  his  camera  on  the  rocky 
ledge,  between  the  actors  and  the  shore. 

"  Can  you  walk  out  there,  Alice?  "  asked  Paul, 
as  he  stepped  along  beside  her,  Russ  walking  with 
Ruth. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  was  the  answer.  "  My  ankle  is 
much  better  now.  It  was  silly  of  me  to  slip  that 
way." 

"  You  couldn't  very  well  help  it,"   he  said. 


74      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  That  seaweed  is  very  treacherous.  I  hope 
there  is  none  on  the  rocks  out  there." 

"  Why  ?  "  she  asked.    "  Is  the  water  deep  ?  " 

"  Rather,  so  that  fisherman  said." 

"  Well,  I'm  not  going  to  slip,"  declared  Alice. 

It  was  not  easy  work  getting  out  to  the  group 
of  rocks  on  the  narrow  path  of  black  stone,  made 
slippery  by  the  spray.  But  they  managed  it,  and 
finally  Ruth,  Alice  and  Paul  took  their  places. 

"  All  ready,"  called  Mr.  Pertell,  who,  with  a 
copy  of  the  scenario  in  his  hand  stood  back  of 
Russ  to  direct  matters.  "  You  are  all  supposed  to 
be  talking  together,  and  then  Paul  discovers  a 
sail  out  on  the  bay.    You  register  surprise,  Paul." 

"  Very  good,"  answered  the  young  actor. 

I  might  explain  that  the  word  "  register  "  is 
used  to  indicate  that  an  actor  or  actress  is  to  de- 
pict, or  go  through,  the  "  business  "  of  showing 
certain  emotions,  either  by  facial  expression,  or 
gestures. 

"  And  after  Paul  sights  the  vessel,  you  register 
hope,  Miss  Ruth,"  went  on  the  manager.  "  All 
ready  now — begin." 

So  the  filming  of  that  scene  went  on. 

"  Very  good,"  complimented  the  manager. 
"  Just  a  little  more  force  there,  Paul.  Wait  a 
minute,  Russ.    Do  that  one  bit  over." 

The  scene  was  started  over  again,  but  it  had 


THE  RISING  TIDE  75 

proceeded  only  a  minute  or  so  before  Russ  gave 
an  exclamation  of  annoyance. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Pertell. 

"  Spring  broke,"  reported  the  operator.  "  I'll 
have  to  go  get  the  other  camera,  and  it  will  take 
me  half  an  hour  to  get  it  in  shape." 

"  Well,  we'll  have  time  enough,"  Mr.  Pertell 
said,  with  a  look  at  the  sun,  which  is  a  sort  of  god 
to  photographers.  Without  its  beams  little  can 
be  done.  "  I'll  go  back  and  help  you,"  said  the 
manager  who  used  to  be  an  expert  operator  him- 
self before  he  rose  in  the  ranks. 

"  You'll  have  to  wait  a  bit,"  Russ  called  to 
Ruth,  Alice  and  Paul.  "  Got  to  fix  another 
camera." 

"  All  right.  We'll  stay  here,"  announced  Alice. 
"  I  don't  want  to  make  that  trip  again  with  my 
lame  ankle,"  and  she  sat  down  in  a  niche  of  the 
rocks.  The  others  followed  her  example.  The 
minutes  passed  quickly  in  pleasant  talk,  but  pres- 
ently Paul  jumped  to  his  feet.  There  was  alarm 
in  his  action. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  Ruth,  startled. 

"  Look ! "  he  said.  He  pointed  toward  the 
shore.  The  path  of  rocks  was  broken  midway  by 
a  stretch  of  water.  The  tide  had  risen,  cutting 
off  the  retreat  to  the  beach. 


CHAPTER  X 


TOO  MUCH  REALISM 


"Oh  dear!"  exclaimed  Ruth.  It  seemed  a 
silly,  futile  thing  to  say,  but,  perhaps,  very  natural 
under  the  circumstances.  Ruth  arose,  and  put 
her  arms  about  her  sister,  who  tottered  a  little  as 
she  stood  upright. 

"  The  tide  has  risen  ?  "  asked  Alice,  and  her 
tone  was  questioning. 

"  That's  what  has  happened,"  went  on  Paul. 
°  Pshaw !  I  ought  to  have  kept  watch  of  it.  Russ 
was  gone  longer  than  I  thought.  But  here  we  are 
now,  fairly  caught." 

"Can't  we — can't  we  wade  back  to  shore?" 
faltered  Alice. 

"  I  wouldn't  like  to  have  you  try  it,"  answered 
Paul,  and  he  moved  over  closer  to  the  girl. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  she  asked.  "  I'm  not  at  all  afraid 
of  getting  wet,  and  it  can't  be  so  very  deep  over 
those  rocks — not  yet." 

"  It  isn't  that  you  would  get  wet,"  Paul  an- 
swered. "  But  the  rocks  were  slippery  enough 
76 


700  MUCH  REALISM  yy 

as  they  were.  Covered  with  water,  as  they  now 
are  between  us  and  the  shore,  I'm  afraid  you'd 
slip  off,  especially  as  your  ankle  will  give  you  a 
twinge  if  you  twist  it" 

"  It  certainly  will,"  agreed  Alice.  "  It  hurts 
worse  now.  But  oh!  We  must  get  back  to 
shore !  "  she  exclaimed.    "  We  must !  " 

"  We — I — I  think  I  could  lift  her  over  the 
place  where  the  water  is,"  said  Ruth. 

"  But  you  might  both  slip  in,"  objected  Paul. 
"  And  the  water  is  quite  deep  on  either  side  of 
this  ledge  of  rocks.  You  see  the  ocean  washes  in 
against  them,  and  scoops  out  the  sand.  So  that 
there  is  a  deep  channel,  ten  feet  or  more,  right 
alongside  of  the  ledge  of  rocks.  If  you  fell  in 
there " 

"  Oh,  don't  speak  of  it ! "  begged  Alice.  "  I 
wouldn't  mind  swimming  if  I  were  prepared  for 
it  but  it  isn't  exactly  Summer  yet,  and  with  a 
disabled  foot " 

"It  isn't  to  be  thought  of,"  finished  Ruth. 
"  But  we  must  get  ashore  somehow,  Paul.  The 
water  is  getting  higher  every  minute." 

"  Yes,  the  tide  has  just  begun  to  come  in,"  said 
the  young  actor.  "  I  should  have  noticed  it  be- 
fore, but  I  didn't.     Now  I  wonder — " 

He  did  not  finish,  but  gazed  back  toward  the 
beach,  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away.    To  his 


yg      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

surprise,  and  also  alarm,  not  one  of  the  members 
of  the  moving  picture  company  was  in  sight. 

"  That's  strange,"  thought  Paul,  but  he  did  not 
speak  his  thought  aloud. 

"  Oh !  "  screamed  Alice,  so  suddenly  as  to  star- 
tle them  all. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  demanded  Ruth. 

"A  wave  splashed  right  up  behind  me! 
Look!" 

The  rising  wind  was  sending  little  waves  over 
the  outer  edge  of  the  small  island  of  rocks  on 
which  the  three  were  marooned.  It  was  another 
evidence  that  the  tide  was  getting  higher  and 
higher. 

"  What  shall  we  do?  "  asked  Ruth. 

"  We  must  get  help — somehow! "  Alice  said. 
Then  she  looked  shoreward,  in  the  direction  Paul 
was  gazing,  and  she  uttered  the  single  expression : 

"Oh!" 

But  it  was  fraught  with  meaning. 

"  Why— they've  gone !  "  gasped  Ruth.  "  What 
— what " 

"  They'll  be  back !  "  Paul  interrupted.  "  Prob- 
ably Mr.  Pertell  just  thought  of  some  scene  he 
could  get,  and  he  took  them  off  down  the  beach 
to  put  them  all  in  it.  They'll  be  back  in  a  little 
while,  and  then  we  can  signal  to  them." 


TOO  MUCH  REALISM 


79 


"  If— if  it  isn't  too — too  late !  "  faltered  Alice. 

"  Too  late  ?  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded 
her  sister. 

"  I  mean  these  rocks  will  soon  be  covered,  and 
covered  deep,  too,"  Alice  said.  "  The  high  water 
mark  is  away  above  them." 

"  Is  it,  Paul  ?  "  demanded  the  older  girl.  She 
wanted  the  statement  of  Alice  disproved. 

"  I'm  afraid  it  is,"  the  young  actor  made  an- 
swer. "  And  the  tide,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  is  likely 
to  be  unusually  high  today.  The  moon  has  some- 
thing to  do  with  it.  But  we  will  be  taken  off  be- 
fore then." 

"  Suppose  we  aren't  ?  "  asked  Alice.  "  The 
wind  and  the  sea  are  rising,  and  if  we  are  swept 
off  the  rocks " 

"  Don't  be  so  tragic  about  it ! "  broke  in  Ruth. 
"  If  we  are  to  go  to  sea,  and  be  in  a  shipwreck, 
even  if  it  is  only  pictured,  we  must  learn  to  face 
perils.  And  here  we  are  only  a  little  way  from 
shore." 

"  That's  right !  "  cried  Paul.  "  That's  the  way 
to  look  at  it,  Alice.    There's  no  danger !  " 

"  That's  easy  enough  for  you  to  say — you  two 
who  haven't  a  lame  ankle,"  the  younger  girl  said, 
seriously  enough.  "  But  I  don't  believe  I  can 
even  swim ! " 

"  There  will  be  no  need  of  that,"  Paul  said. 


go      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  They  are  sure  to  come  back  and  see  our  plight 
soon.  I  can't  see  what's  keeping  Russ.  He  prom- 
ised to  come  back  as  soon  as  he  fixed  up  another 
camera.    It's  very  strange." 

Later  they  learned  that  when  Russ  and  Mr. 
Pertell  got  back  to  the  beach,  leaving,  as  they  sup- 
posed Ruth,  her  sister  and  Paul  safe  on  the  rocks, 
Pop  Snooks,  the  veteran  property  man  discovered 
a  certain  nook  that  would  answer  for  an  impor- 
tant scene  in  the  play.  Wishing  to  take  advantage 
of  it  at  once,  while  the  light  was  good,  Mr.  Pertell 
ordered  the  entire  company  over  there  to  go 
through  the  prescribed  "  business."  He  took 
Russ  and  the  two  other  camera  operators  with 
him,  to  make  sure  of  getting  at  least  one  film. 

That  is  why  the  beach  opposite  the  rocks  where 
the  three  were  marooned  by  the  rising  tide, 
was  deserted  just  then.  For  the  time  both  Mr. 
Pertell  and  Russ  forgot  their  three  friends,  or,  if 
they  thought  of  them  at  all,  it  was  to  think  that 
they  were  perfectly  safe,  and  would  come  to  no 
harm  by  waiting  a  bit. 

The  tide  rose  higher  and  higher.  In  a  few  min- 
utes it  would  lap  the  feet  of  the  three  marooned 
ones.    A  desperate  resolve  came  into  Paul's  mind. 

"  I'll  swim,  or  wade,  to  shore,"  he  said,  "  and 
get  a  boat." 

"  And  leave  us  here?  "  demanded  Alice. 


TOO  MUCH  REALISM  gl 

"  Yes.  There  is  nothing  else  to  be  done,"  he 
answered,  desperately. 

"  No,  please  don't  go !  "  begged  Alice,  putting 
a  detaining  hand  on  his  arm.  "  I  can't  bear  to  be 
left  here." 

"  But  it  will  be  only  for  a  few  minutes,"  Paul 
said,  "  and  the  tide  isn't  rising  so  fast  that  it  will 
sweep  you  away  in  that  time." 

"I  know — but — don't  go!"  begged  Alice,  her 
voice  trembling. 

Paul  looked  at  Ruth. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  stay,"  suggested  the 
older  girl.  "  They  are  sure  to  come  back  soon, 
and — well,  we  don't  want  to  be  left  here." 

"All  right,"  agreed  Paul.  "But  I  think  I 
could  get  back  with  a  boat  in  time." 

However,  there  was  no  need  for  him  to  go.  A 
moment  later  the  moving  picture  company,  headed 
by  Russ  and  the  two  other  camera  men,  came 
around  the  turn  of  some  sand  dunes. 

"  There  they  are!  "  cried  Ruth. 

"  Oh,  come  and  get  us !  "  fairly  screamed  Alice. 

Paul  put  his  fingers  to  his  mouth  and  sent  out 
a  shrill  whistle. 

It  needed  only  a  glance  on  the  part  of  Mr. 
Pertell  and  the  others  to  show  the  plight  of  the 
three  marooned  ones. 

"I  forgot  all  about  them!"  the  manager  ex- 


82      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

claimed.  "  Russ — Mr.  Bunn — Switzer — a  boat— 
where's  that  fisherman — where's  the  life-saving 
station?    This  is " 

"  Avast  there !  Belay !  "  came  the  deep  tones 
of  Jack  Jepson,  who  had  come  out  to  do  certain 
parts  in  the  shore  scenes.  "  I'll  take  that  boat 
out  and  get  'em.    Don't  worry !  " 

"  Oh,  but  my  daughters ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  De- 
Vere,  hoarsely. 

"  And  Alice  with  a  sprained  ankle ! "  gasped 
Mrs.  Maguire. 

"  Don't  worry !  I'll  get  'em !  "  declared  the  old 
salt.  "  Come  on,"  he  called  to  Mr.  Bunn.  "  You 
look  like  you  could  handle  an  oar,"  and  he  started 
toward  a  dory  that  was  drawn  up  on  the  beach. 

"  I — I  can't  row !  "  exclaimed  the  old  actor. 
"  Besides,  I  might " 

"  Yes,  he  might  spoil  his  dignity,"  said  Russ 
fiercely  in  an  undertone.  "  I'll  go  with  you,"  he 
said  to  the  sailor.    "  I  can  manage  a  boat !  " 

"  Good !    That's  the  way  to  talk.     Come  on !  " 

A  few  minutes  later  Russ  and  Jack  had  shoved 
out  the  fisherman's  craft,  and  were  quickly  row- 
ing toward  the  rocks.  The  tide  was  now  so  high 
that  Paul  and  the  two  girls  stood  ankle-deep  in 
the  water  that  completely  covered  the  rocks. 

"Ahoy  there!  Ahoy!"  sang  out  Jack,  as  he 
and  Russ  sent  the  boat  over  the  waves  to  the  res- 


TOO  MUCH  REALISM  83 

cue.    "  Ahoy!  We'll  have  you  safe  in  a  minute!  " 

"  Quick !  Get  that  picture !  Film  it !  "  cried 
Mr.  Pertell  to  one  of  the  other  camera  men.  "  I 
can  work  that  scene  in — somehow." 

There  was  very  little  that  was  not  "  grist " 
which  came  to  the  "  mill ''  of  Mr.  Pertell's  cam- 
eras. The  film  began  to  unreel  and  before  they 
knew  it  Paul,  Ruth  and  Alice  were  being  de- 
picted in  the  rescue  scene,  which,  when  it  was 
projected  on  the  screen,  made  a  series  of  effective 
pictures. 

There  was  little  real  harm  done  save  for  wet 
feet  and  startled  nerves.  Sufficient  harm,  one 
might  think,  but  Ruth  and  Alice  were  beginning 
to  forget  they  had  nerves,  so  many  were  the 
strange  acts  they  were  called  upon  to  perform  in 
their  moving  picture  work. 

Jack  and  Russ  helped  the  three  into  the  boat, 
and  rowed  to  shore  with  them,  where  mutual  ex- 
planations were  made,  and  Mr.  Pertell  was  sor- 
rowfully apologetic  for  his  forgetful  share  in  it. 

"And  the  next  time  I  forget  about  the  tide, 
when  I'm  at  the  shore,  I'll  fine  myself  a  box  of 
candy  to  be  forfeit  to  you  girls,"  Paul  said. 

"  Be  sure  you  don't  forget  to  pay  the  fine," 
Alice  warned  him. 

As  the  company  had  brought  along  several 
changes  of  costume,  there  were  dry  shoes  for  the 


84      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

three  marooned  ones,  and  then,  as  it  was  too  late 
to  finish  the  scene  on  the  rocks,  they  went  back  to 
New  York.  Some  other  day  would  have  to  be 
devoted,  at  least  in  part,  to  completing  that  film. 

In  the  days  that  followed,  work  on  the  Mary 
Ellen  went  on  apace.  She  was  almost  ready  for 
her  voyage  to  sea.  The  big  motorboat,  Ajax, 
was  also  being  put  in  readiness.  While  Jack 
Jepson  and  the  others  were  busy  at  the  schooner 
there  were  also  busy  scenes  at  the  studio,  where 
Mr.  DeVere  and  his  daughters  took  part  in  many 
film  plays.  Nearly  all  the  studio  scenes  for  "  Out 
on  The  Deep,"  had  been  completed. 

"  But  we  must  get  that  river  attack  before 
we  start  on  the  voyage,"  said  Mr.  Pertell  one 
day.  This  "  river  attack  "  showed  one  phase  of 
the  big  marine  drama.  Ruth  and  Alice,  in  com- 
pany with  Mr.  Bunn,  as  an  old  'longshoreman, 
were  supposed  to  be  rowed  across  a  river  to  es- 
cape harbor  thieves.  To  get  good  local  color 
the  location  of  the  scene  was  fixed  on  the  Jersey 
side  of  the  Hudson  river,  above  the  Palisades. 
Thither  those  of  the  company  required  in  the 
scene  journeyed  one  day. 

All  went  well  until  the  time  when  Mr.  Bunn, 
rather  against  his  will,  was  rowing  Ruth  and 
Alice  toward  shore.  They  were  being  pursued  by 
some  rough  men  in  a  second  boat.    It  is  needless 


TOO  MUCH  REALISM  g$ 

to  say  that  the  "  rough  men,"  were  also  moving 
picture  actors. 

"Go  on  there,  Mr.  Bunn!  Row!  Row!" 
called  Mr.  Pertell,  while  Russ,  who  was  with  him 
in  a  third  boat,  was  making  the  reel  hum  in  the 
camera. 

"  I — I  can't  row  any  faster,"  said  the  old 
"  Ham  "  actor. 

"  But  you  must!  "  the  manager  cried.  "  That's 
better,"  he  added  as  Mr.  Bunn  showed  a  burst  of 
speed. 

"  Oh  dear !  If  ever  I  get  through  this  series  of 
pictures  I'll  quit  the  game ! "  groaned  the  former 
legitimate  actor. 

Ruth  and  Alice  "  registered  "  the  proper  busi- 
ness as  the  men  in  the  pursuing  boat  came  nearer 
and  nearer.  The  flight  was  to  continue  along  the 
Jersey  shore. 

"  Jump  out !  Jump  out !  "  commanded  Mr. 
Pertell,  giving  directions  from  behind  a  screen  of 
bushes,  where  he  and  Russ,  having  landed,  were 
now  hidden  to  take  the  land  scenes. 

The  girls  and  Mr.  Bunn  leaped  ashore.  The 
"  villains  "  followed,  firing  blank  cartridges. 

"Fine!  That's  fine!"  cried  the  enthusiastic 
manager,  when  suddenly,  from  a  road  that  ran 
along  the  shore,  there  sprang  a  number  of  country 


85      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

officers.  They  had  their  clubs  in  one  hand  and 
had  drawn  their  revolvers. 

"Surrender!  Surrender!"  cried  the  leading 
officer  to  the  "  villains,"  who  were  pursuing  Mr. 
Bunn  and  the  girls.  "  Surrender !  We've  got 
you  covered !  We  seen  you  chasm'  these  parties ! 
Surrender ! "  and  the  police  rushed  toward  the 
actors. 

"  Keep  back !  Keep  back !  "  implored  Mr. 
Pertell,  leaping  out  of  concealment  and  waving 
his  hands.    But  he  was  too  late. 


CHAPTER  XI 


A  REVISED  FILM 


Just  what  idea  the  local  police  had  in  mind 
when  they  rushed  forward  would  be  hard  to  say. 
Evidently,  however,  they  believed  they  were  in- 
tent on  rescuing  the  girls  from  some  imminent 
peril,  for  the  leader  of  the  officers,  showing  not  a 
little  fear,  even  in  the  heroic  role  he  was  playing, 
fired  a  shot  into  the  air,  and  cried : 

"  No  you  don't !  No  you  don't !  Nothin'  like 
that  there  can  be  done  while  Captain  Wealson  is 
around.    Up  an'  at  'em,  men !  " 

He  and  his  men  rushed  toward  the  pursuing 
"  villains,"  got  right  in  the  way  of  the  camera, 
and  proceeded  to  attack  those  whom  they  thought 
Were  guilty  of  some  crime. 

**  There  it  goes !  "  cried  Mr.  Pertell.  "  The  pic- 
ture is  spoiled !  It  will  have  to  be  all  done  over 
again." 

In  obedience  to  a  gesture  of  despair  from  the 
manager,  Russ  ceased  grinding  at  the  crank  of 
*lhe  camera. 

87 


88      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"That's  enough!  Stop!"  called  Mr.  Pertell, 
and  Ruth,  Alice  and  the  others  who  were  making 
strenuous  efforts  (seemingly)  to  escape,  came  to 
a  halt.  Many  times  before  they  had  heard  that 
command  which  meant  that  something  was  going 
wrong,  and  that  they  might  as  well  stop  at  once 
without  wasting  effort. 

"  Why,  I  wonder  what's  wrong,"  said  Alice, 
who  had  not  quite  grasped  the  interruption. 
"  Everything  seemed  to  be  going  beautifully." 

"  Perhaps  the  film  broke,"  suggested  Ruth. 

"  It's  the  police,"  Paul  said,  waving  his  hand 
at  the  officers,  each  of  whom  had  clutched  a 
"  prisoner,"  and  was  holding  him. 

"  The  police  ?  "  echoed  Alice. 

"  Yes,  they  came  in  when  they  weren't  wanted,'* 
Paul  went  on. 

"  Oh,  I  thought  they  were  part  of  the  picture !  " 
exclaimed  Ruth.  And  so  she  had.  Often,  to 
make  a  moving  picture  seem  more  realistic,  a 
manager  will  not  tell  the  actors  all  he  has  pre- 
pared. Thus  he  gets  the  element  of  surprise. 
Both  Ruth  and  Alice,  in  this  case,  thought  the 
local  police  had  been  brought  into  the  scene  at  the 
last  moment  to  add  a  touch  of  reality  to  the  play. 
But,  as  it  turned  out,  it  was  almost  too  much 
reality. 

"  Say,  what  do  you  fellows  mean,  anyhow  ?  " 


A  REVISED  FILM  89 

demanded  the  manager,  of  the  police  leader. 
"  What  do  you  mean,  I  say,"  and  Mr.  Pertell 
strode  up  with  an  angry  look  on  his  face. 

"  What  do  we  mean  ?  Ha !  That's  a  good  one  I 
Listen  to  him,  boys !  What  do  we  mean  ?  Why 
we  mean  to  arrest  these  scoundrels,  and  we've 
done  it,  too! "  he  added  proudly,  with  a  wave  of 
his  hand  toward  the  persons  his  men  had  made 
prisoners. 

"  Well,  you've  made  a  big  mistake,"  Mr.  Pertell 
went  on. 

"  Mistake!  Ha!  I  guess  not!  "  cried  the  offi- 
cer. "  We  don't  make  mistakes  up  here !  One  of 
my  men  seen  something  queer  goin'  on  out  in  the 
river,  and  come  and  told  me.  Then  I  seen  your 
boats  puttin'  off,  and  I  knew  something  was 
wrong.  So  I  got  my  forces  together,  and  we 
waited  for  these  fellows.  We've  got  'em,  too! 
Every  one  of  'em!"  he  added  proudly.  "Lock 
'era  up,  men ! "  he  ordered.  "  We'll  show  these 
fellows  what  Jersey  justice  is  like.  Take  'em 
away." 

"  Hold  on !  "  cried  Mr.  Pertell,  and  this  time  he 
allowed  a  smile  to  show  on  his  hitherto  glum  face. 
"  You  don't  seem  to  understand." 

"  Oh,  I  think  I  do,"  said  the  police  officer 
calmly.  "  I  understand  a  great  deal  more  than 
you  think  I  do.    Come  on." 


go      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Wait !  I'll  explain !  "  cried  the  manager. 
"  It's  for  the  moving  pictures !  "  he  added.  "  This 
is  only  a  pretended  attack  and  pursuit.  Ask  the 
young  ladies  themselves,"  he  said,  motioning  to 
Ruth  and  Alice  who  were  now  smiling.  Certainly 
they  did  not  seem  to  be  in  any  great  alarm  or  dis- 
tress over  their  recent  adventure.  Their  appear- 
ance must  have  caused  the  officer  to  doubt  the 
wisdom  of  his  course. 

"Weren't  these  fellers  chasing  you?"  he  de- 
manded, motioning  to  the  prisoners.  "  Now 
don't  say  they  wasn't,  for  I  saw  'em." 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  were  pursuing  us,"  admitted 
Ruth,  "  but  it  was  all  in  the  picture." 

"  The  picture?  "  questioned  the  officer. 

"  Yes.  We  are  moving  picture  actresses  and 
actors,"  she  went  on,  and  her  father,  coming  up 
then,  though  he  had  had  no  active  part  in  the 
chase,  confirmed  what  she  said. 

For  a  momc  it  the  police  captain  maintained  a 
silence,  and  then,  as  he  could  no  longer  doubt 
what  was  said,  since  Mr.  Pertell  exhibited  certain 
credentials,  the  representative  of  Jersey  justice 
said: 

"  Well,  this  certainly  is  one  on  me !  We'd 
better  go  back,  boys,"  he  added  to  his  men,  and 
we'd  better  keep  quiet  about  this  thing.  But  I 
sure  thought  this  was  a  kidnapping  case." 


A  REVISED  FILM 


91 


'"And  you  spoiled  my  picture,"  groaned  Mr. 
Pertell.  "  Now  we've  got  to  go  back  to  the 
middle  of  the  river,  and  do  it  over  from  there." 

"  Hold  on  a  minute !  "  exclaimed  Pop  Snooks, 
who,  as  property  man,  was  also  a  sort  of  assis- 
tant manager.  "  Maybe  this  will  turn  out  all 
right  after  all." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Pertell. 

"  Why,  the  police.  We  could  have  them  try 
to  stop  the  pursuers  but  get  worsted  in  the  en- 
counter, and  the  roughs  could  keep  right  on  after 
the  girls.  In  that  way  we  won't  have  to  waste 
much  film.  Just  go  on  with  the  picture  from  the 
point  where  these  policemen  came  in." 

Mr.  Pertell  thought  for  a  minute. 

"That's  the  idea!"  he  suddenly  cried.  "It 
will  make  a  better  picture  that  way.  Say ! "  he 
went  on  to  the  police  officers :  "  You're  in  on 
this!" 

"  In  on  what  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"  On  this  scene.  I  can  use  you  and  your  men. 
You  won't  mind  a  little  rough  and  tumble  work, 
will  you  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

Thereupon  the  manager  explained  that  he 
would  turn  the  police  to  good  advantage,  and 
have  them  interfere  in  the  attack,  only  to  be 
outdone  by  the  "  villains." 


p2      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  It's  only  fair  for  you  to  do  this,  as  you  came 
in  where  you  weren't  needed  and  nearly  spoiled 
the  picture,"  the  manager  said. 

Whether  it  was  this  appeal  to  justice  and  fair 
play,  or  because  he  and  his  men  were  anxious  to 
get  into  a  moving  picture,  was  not  made  clear; 
but  the  captain  and  the  policemen  consented  to 
do  their  parts. 

There  was  a  little  coaching,  something  of  a 
rehearsal  and  then  that  scene  went  on  again,  with 
Ruth  and  Alice  "  fleeing "  from  the  pursuers, 
and  the  police  charging  downhill  after  the  men. 

Then  followed  the  improvised  scene,  of  an 
attack  by  the  police,  and  a  repulse  by  the  "  vil- 
lains." 

"Good!  That's  great!"  cried  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  It  will  be  better  than  I  thought  it  would.  This 
is  fine!" 

"  Ha !  Yes,  maybe  for  you,  but  look  at  my 
eye!"  cried  Mr.  Pepper  Sneed.     "Look  at  it!" 

"  Well,  what's  the  matter  with  it?  "  asked  Mr. 
Pertell.  "  It's  a  little  red,  that's  all  I  can  see." 
The  taking  of  pictures  had  stopped  for  the  time 
being. 

"A  little  red!  A  little!"  fairly  howled  the 
grouch.  "  Say  it  will  be  black  and  blue  to- 
morrow. One  of  those  policeman  hit  me  in  the 
eye  with  his  elbow.     It  was  an  awful  blow.     I 


A  REVISED  FILM  93 

shouldn't  wonder  but  that  I  went  blind.  Never 
again  will  I  take  part  in  anything  as  tough  as 
this.  I  know  I'll  be  laid  up  for  a  week,"  and 
with  this  gloomy  thought  he  limped  off,  for  he 
had  been  rather  roughly  handled  in  the  melee. 

"I  wonder  if  that's  all  for  us  today?"  asked 
Alice,  as  she  saw  Russ  taking  the  legs  off  his 
camera. 

"  Why,  are  you  tired  ?  "  asked  Ruth,  solici- 
tously. 

"  A  little,  yes.  I  shall  be  glad  when  we  get 
out  to  sea." 

"  Perhaps  we  may  have  even  harder  work  than 
this,"  suggested  Ruth,  for  the  race  along  shore 
had  not  been  easy.  "  A  shipwreck  isn't  going  to 
be  any  society  drama,  Alice." 

"  I  know,"  agreed  the  younger  girl.  "  But  I 
think  we  shall  like  it." 

Neither  of  them  realized  what  was  in  store 
for  them. 


CHAPTER  XII 


OVERHEARD 


"Well,  I  think  this  will  do,"  Mr.  Pertell 
announced,  as  the  members  of  his  company 
gathered  on  the  shore  of  the  Hudson,  ready  to 
go  back  to  the  larger  boat,  whence  they  had  come 
in  the  two  small  ones,  to  depict  the  pursuit.  "  It 
came  out  better  than  I  expected  when  I  saw  that 
crowd  of  policemen  charging  down  on  us." 

"  I  thought  sure  we  were  in  for  a  spell  in  the 
lock-up,"  remarked  one  of  the  extra  men  en- 
gaged as  a  member  of  the  "  pursuing  villains." 

"  You  had  a  little  extra  work,  doing  part  of 
the  scene  over  again,  so  we'll  give  you  all  a  little 
bonus,"  said  the  manager.  "  We'll  get  back  to 
the  studio  now.  There  are  a  few  scenes  I  want  to 
make  before  we  start  off  on  our  trip  to  sea." 

"  How  soon  do  we  go  ?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  As  soon  as  we  can  get  stocked  up.  Captain 
Brisco  has  a  few  little  repairs  to  make  to  the 
schooner,  I  believe." 

"  Do  you  think  the  Mary  Ellen  will  prove  to 
94 


OVERHEARD 


95 


be  a  safe  boat  in  which  to  go  to  sea  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  DeVere,  when  he,  with  his  daughters,  and 
the  others,  were  on  their  way  back  to  New  York. 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  the  manager. 

"  Well,  I  heard  Jack  Jepson  say  the  schooner 
was  a  pretty  old  one,"  replied  the  veteran  actor. 

"  So  she  is,"  said  Mr.  Pertell,  "  if  she  hadn't 
been,  our  company  never  could  have  afforded  to 
buy  her  just  to  make  a  shipwreck  of  her.  But 
she  is  perfectly  safe  for  what  traveling  we  shall 
do.  Brisco  has  assured  me  of  that,  and  has  seen 
to  it.  What  sort  of  a  yarn  was  Jepson  giving 
you  ?  "  and  Mr.  Pertell  seemed  a  bit  annoyed. 

"  Well,  he  merely  said  that  the  schooner  was  a 
pretty  old  one,"  went  on  Mr.  DeVere,  "  and  that 
she  had  seen  her  best  days." 

"  He  didn't  say  that  she  was  unsafe,  did  he  ?  " 

"  No,  oh,  no!  Nothing  like  that!  "  exclaimed 
the  actor  quickly.  "  I  was  just  wondering  about 
her.  I  shouldn't  like  to  take  any  chances  you 
know,"  and  he  glanced  over  toward  his  daughters 
who  had  no  part  in  this  conversation. 

"  Oh,  the  Mary  Ellen  will  be  as  safe  as  is 
necessary,"  the  manager  continued.  "  Besides  we 
will  be  in  Southern  waters  after  we  leave  here, 
and  there  will  be  little  danger  from  storms." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  Mr.  DeVere  said.  "  A 
warm  Southern  clime  will  be  beneficial  to  my 


96 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  G/RLS  AT  SEA 


throat.  It  does  not  take  kindly  to  our  Northern 
weather,  even  at  the  best." 

In  the  days  that  followed  there  was  plenty  of 
work  for  the  moving  picture  girls  in  the  film 
studio.  They  had  to  take  part  in  several  little 
dramas  that  had  to  be  completed  before  the  sea 
scenes  in  the  ocean  play  were  undertaken. 

"  Anything  much  to  do  this  afternoon  ?  "  asked 
Russ  of  Ruth  as  he  passed  her  near  her  dressing 
room  one  day  about  a  week  after  the  episode  of 
the  mistaken  policemen. 

"  No,  I  am  free,"  she  announced.  "  They  have 
postponed  that '  In  the  Slums  '  and  I'm  glad  of  it. 
I  don't  care  for  such  characters  as  I  have  to  as- 
sume in  a  play  like  that." 

"  Nor  I.  I'm  off  for  the  afternoon,  too.  What 
do  you  say  we  take  Alice,  and  go  for  a  little  trip 
to  the  Erie  Basin?  " 

"  To  see  the  Mary  Ellen  again  ?  There  can't 
be  much  change  since  we  saw  her  last." 

"  No,  not  exactly  to  see  her,  though  we  could 
pay  a  visit  if  we  liked.  But  you  know  we  are 
to  have  a  big  motorboat  follow  us  in  the  ocean 
scenes — I'm  to  take  pictures  from  it,  in  fact — 
and  that  motorboat — the  Ajax — is  over  in  the 
Basin,  near  the  old  schooner.  I  thought  maybe 
you'd  like  to  take  a  look  at  her." 

"  I  would !  "  exclaimed  Ruth  with  enthusiasm. 


OVERHEARD  97 

I'll  tell  Alice.  She  is  disengaged,  I  know,  for  I 
heard  Mr.  Pertell  tell  her  so." 

"  I'm  sorry  we  can't  go  for  a  trip  in  her,"  went 
on  Russ,  "  but  she  isn't  in  shape  yet.  I  have  to 
go  over  to  give  some  directions  about  building  a 
platform  for  setting  the  camera  on,  and  I  thought 
we  might  combine  business  and  pleasure." 

"  It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  go,"  said  Ruth,  as  she 
went  off  to  find  her  sister. 

"  Tell  Paul,  too,  if  you  see  him,"  Russ  called 
after  her.    "  We'll  make  a  party  of  it." 

"All  right,"  Ruth  answered. 

She  found  Paul  and  Alice  together — just  as 
she  half  expected — and  mentioned  Russ's  plan. 

Paul  was  cast  for  a  role  in  a  little  play  that 
afternoon,  but  he  spoke  to  Mr.  Pertell  about  it, 
and  the  manager  kindly  postponed  it,  as  it  was  not 
very  important. 

So,  after  lunch  the  four  young  people  started 
for  the  place  where  the  Ajax  was  being  over- 
hauled, not  far  from  the  dock  of  the  Mary 
Ellen.  On  the  way  they  talked  of  their  plans 
when  they  should  be  at  sea.  It  had  been  given 
out  at  the  studio  that  they  would  all  go  aboard 
the  Mary  Ellen,  which  would  be  headed  for  the 
Florida  coast.  Somewhere  off  that  peninsula, 
just  where  had  not  been  decided,  the  moving 
pictures    would    be    made,    and    the    shipwreck 


98 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


would  take  place.     The  details  had  not  yet  been 
perfected. 

"  Are  you  going  to  travel  alone  in  the  motor- 
boat?  "  asked  Alice  of  Russ. 

"  No  indeed.     She  is  to  be  carried  in  a  cradle 

on  the  deck  of  the  Mary  Ellen,  and " 

'"A  cradle!"  interrupted  Alice.  "Whoever 
heard  of  a  boat  being  put  in  a  cradle,  as  if  it  were 
a  baby!" 

"  Well,  the  Ajax  is  going  to  be  rocked  in  the 
cradle  of  the  deep,  isn't  she?"  asked  Paul. 

"Oh,  what  a  heartless  joke!"  mocked  Ruth. 

"  Just  for  that  you'll  be  fined  four  ice  cream 
sodas !  "  laughed  Alice. 

"  No,  but  speaking  seriously,"  went  on  Russ, 
"  the  Ajax  will  be  cradled  on  the  deck  of  the 
schooner ;  that  is,  the  motorboat  will  be  set  in  two 
V  shaped  affairs,  called  cradles.  That's  to  pre- 
vent her  rolling  off  into  the  high  seas." 

"  Do  you  think  it  will  be  rough?  "  asked  Ruth, 
with  an  apprehensive  look  over  her  shoulder,  as 
though  she  already  saw  a  "  hurricane  in  the  off- 
ing," as  her  sister  laughingly  put  it. 

"  Well,  you  know  we  have  to  wait  for  a  storm, 
to  get  some  of  the  scenes,"  Russ  said.  "  Of 
course  the  weather  often  gets  pretty  bad  in  these 
Southern  waters,  in  spite  of  their  peaceful  name," 
he  continued,  "  but  I  don't  suppose  Mr.  Pertell 


OVERHEARD  99 

will  venture  out  far  from  the  harbor  in  a  bad 
blow.  Even  a  little  wind  will  kick  up  enough 
sea  to  make  it  look  pretty  rough  in  a  picture." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mind  a  storm !  "  exclaimed  Alice. 
"  I  just  love  it." 

"Oh — Alice!"  cried  her  sister.  "You  know 
you'll  be  as  frightened  as  I'll  be." 

"  We'll  see,"  challenged  the  younger  girl  with 
sparkling  eyes  and  a  flush  on  her  cheeks. 

They  found  the  Ajax,  after  some  little  dif- 
ficulty, among  a  score  of  other  boats,  in  process 
of  repair. 

"  Oh,  what  a  big  one !  "  exclaimed  Alice  as  she 
caught  sight  of  the  craft.  "  I  do  hope  you'll  give 
us  a  ride  in  her,  Russ." 

"  Of  course  I  shall,  between  times  of  taking 
pictures,"  he  promised.  "  What  do  you  think  of 
her,  Paul?" 

"  Pretty  fine,"  agreed  the  young  actor.  "  Has 
she  any  speed  ?  " 

"  Not  much,  I  guess.  It's  an  old  sort  of  tub, 
but  pretty  steady  in  the  water,  Mr.  Pertell  said. 
"  That's  what  I  want  for  taking  pictures.  It 
won't  do  to  have  her  rolling  and  pitching.  Well, 
let's  go  aboard,  and  see  how  they're  coming  on." 

Russ  had  a  permit  to  view  the  craft,  and  as  he 
was  expected  to  give  some  instructions  regard- 
ing the  building  of  the  platform,  the  man  in 


IOO     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

charge  of  the  overhauling  work  welcomed  the 
four  young  people. 

The  Ajax  was,  as  Russ  had  said,  rather  a  tub, 
but  it  was  a  large,  comfortable  boat,  and  was 
capable  of  going  on  quite  a  cruise.  There  was  a 
partially  enclosed  cabin,  and  many  comforts  and 
conveniences.  But  just  for  the  present  purpose, 
everything  was  being  subordinated  to  the  taking 
of  moving  pictures. 

"  I'm  readjusting  the  motor,"  the  head  of  the 
repair  gang  told  Russ,  "  so  she'll  start  and  stop, 
as  well  as  reverse  easily  and  quickly.  That's 
what  you  want,  isn't  it?  " 

"  That's  it,  yes.  You  see  I  can't  tell  when  I'll 
have  to  shift,  to  make  allowances  for  what  the 
actors  and  actresses  will  do.  There's  no  telling 
about  these  moving  picture  people,"  and  Russ 
gave  Ruth  and  Alice,  as  well  as  Paul,  a  laughing 
look  as  though  to  indicate  that  they  were  very 
temperamental,  and  hard  to  get  along  with. 

"Are  these  some  of  the  actor  folks?"  asked 
the  mechanic  who  was  laboring  over  the  motor. 

"  That's  what  they  are,  and  good  ones,  too ! " 
cried  Russ. 

"  Gee !  They  don't  look  it !  "  was  the  frank  re- 
mark, and  the  two  girls  broke  into  peals  of  laugh- 
ter. 

Paul  and  Russ  showed  Ruth  and  Alice  over  the 


OVERHEARD  I0I 

big  motorboat,  and  then  leaving  the  three  to  their 
own  devices  for  a  while,  the  young  camera  oper- 
ator went  into  details  of  the  work  with  the  head 
mechanic.  Russ  was  told  that  the  Ajax  would  be 
ready  in  plenty  of  time  for  him.  He  expressed 
himself  as  satisfied  with  the  progress  made, 
though  he  made  one  or  two  slight  changes  in  the 
platform,  built  on  the  forward  deck  of  the  craft, 
where  he  was  to  stand  when  he  took  the  pictures 
of  the  shipwreck. 

"Well,  how  about  those  sodas  now?"  asked 
Russ  of  his  companions  when  he  had  finished. 
"  There's  a  nice  place  a  few  blocks  up,  and  it's 
about  warm  enough  for  ice  cream." 

"  Couldn't  we  take  just  a  look  at  the  Mary 
Ellen  while  we  are  here?"  asked  Alice.  "Isn't 
that  she,  over  there  ?  "  and  she  pointed  across  the 
basin. 

"  You  speak  of  that  ship  as  if  she  were  a  per- 
son," objected  Ruth. 

"  And  so  she  is !  "  Alice  exclaimed.  "  A  ship 
is  always  a  lady,  isn't  she,  Paul  ?  " 

"  She  ought  to  try  to  be,  at  least,"  he  laughed. 
"  How  about  it,  Russ  ?  Shall  we  take  the  girls 
over  to  the  schooner  ?  " 

"  Might  as  well,  I  guess.  It  won't  take  long, 
and  it  isn't  far." 

A  short  time  later  the  four  of  them  stood  at 


102     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

the  gangplank  of  the  Mary  Ellen.  They  saw  no 
signs  of  any  men  on  deck,  but  they  were  doubtless 
below,  making  the  repairs,  which  must  be  nearly 
finished. 

"  Come  on,"  said  Russ,  leading  the  way. 
"  We'll  go  aboard." 

As  they  stood  on  deck,  looking  about  them, 
they  saw  no  one,  but  the  companionway  was  in 
plain  sight,  and  they  started  toward  it,  intending 
to  go  down  into  the  main  cabin. 

The  place  was  rather  dimly  lighted,  but  when 
their  eyes  had  become  used  to  the  gloom,  they 
caught  sight  of  a  solitary  figure  in  the  forward 
end  of  the  main  compartment. 

"  It's  Jack  Jepson,"  whispered  Alice  to  her  com- 
panions. "  We'll  give  him  a  surprise.  Keep 
quiet  now.  His  back  is  toward  me  and  I'll  tiptoe 
up  behind  him  and  put  my  hands  over  his  eyes. 
I'll  make  him  guess  who  it  is.  He'll  think  some 
British  suffragette  has  taken  him  on  that  silly 
charge  of  mutiny,"  she  went  on. 

"  Be  careful,"  admonished  Ruth.  "  No  pranks, 
Alice." 

"  This  isn't  a  prank.     Keep  quiet  now." 

The  old  sailor  was  evidently  not  aware  that 
visitors  were  in  the  cabin,  for  they  had  made  little 
noise  in  descending  the  companion  stairs,   and 


OVERHEARD 


103 


what  little  they  had  caused  was  drowned  by  the 
distant  noise  of  carpenters'  hammers. 

As  Alice  advanced,  the  others  remaining  back 
in  the  semi-darkness,  they  all  heard  Jack  Jepson 
break  into  a  sort  of  monologue.  He  was  talking 
to  himself,  in  fashion  something  like  this. 

"  It  ought  to  be  hereabouts,  if  it's  anywhere, 
and  I'm  sure  it  is.  I  can't  be  mistaken.  They 
have  cut  her  down,  and  made  a  lot  of  changes, 
but  they  can't  fool  me.  I  was  suspicious  when  I 
first  came  aboard,  and  I'm  more  so  every  minute. 
I'm  going  to  find  out  for  sure,  while  I  have  the 
chance.    Let  me  think  now." 

He  leaned  up  against  a  bulkhead,  while  Alice 
glanced  back  at  her  friends  in  some  surprise. 
What  meant  the  words  they  had  overheard  ?  The 
old  sailor  seemed  strangely  excited,  and  he  was 
passing  his  hand  over  the  paneling  of  the  cabin  as 
though  in  search  of  something  long  forgotten,  or 
dimly  remembered. 

A  moment  later  another  step  was  heard  in  the 
apartment,  and  Captain  Brisco  entered.  He 
started  at  the  sight  of  Jepson,  though  the  com- 
mander had  not  yet  seen  the  four  young  people. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  he  asked  in  a 
hoarse  voice.  The  old  salt  started  back  as  though 
caught  in  some  guilty  act. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
"all  aboard!  " 

Ruth,  Alice,  Paul  and  Russ  remained  silent 
and  unseen  witnesses  of  the  little  scene  being  en- 
acted before  them.  It  was  like  some  section  taken 
from  a  moving  picture  drama,  though  they  could 
not  guess  what  the  plot  was,  nor  what  the  outcome 
would  be. 

'■'  What  are  you  doing  here,  Mr.  Jepson  ? " 
asked  Captain  Brisco,  and  there  was  sarcasm  in 
the  title  he  bestowed  on  his  mate,  for  since  he  was 
third  in  command,  having  been  given  the  post  of 
second  mate,  the  old  salt  was  entitled  to  be  called 
Mister. 

"  I  was  jest — jest  lookin' — lookin' — "  Jepson 
faltered. 

"  Well,  you'd  better  look  forward  then,"  came 
the  harsh  command.  "  There's  plenty  to  do  there, 
if  we're  ever  to  start  on  this  voyage,  and  of  all 
the " 

At  that  moment  Alice  sneezed.  She  could  not 
help  it,  and  in  trying  to  hold  it  back,  she  made 
104 


"ALL  ABOARD  I"  10$ 

more  of  a  commotion  than  if  she  had  let  the 
sneeze  come  naturally. 

At  the  sound  Captain  Brisco  and  Jack  Jepson 
turned  and  stared  toward  the  dimness  that 
marked  the  companionway. 

"  Who's  there  ?  "  called  Captain  Brisco,  sharply. 

"We  just  came  aboard  to  see  how  matters 
were  coming  on,"  said  Russ  stepping  forward  and 
under  a  skylight. 

"  But  we  didn't  expect  to  be  welcomed  with 
snuff,"  said  Alice,  as  she  sneezed  again.  This 
time  Ruth  joined  her.  There  was  an  irritating 
odor  noticeable  in  the  cabin. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  Captain  Brisco  said,  as 
the  others  stepped  closer  to  Russ,  so  they  could  be 
discerned.  "  I  didn't  know  who  it  was.  I  am 
glad  to  see  you.  That's  a  paint-remover  you 
smell.  It  is  irritating.  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
you." 

But  he  did  not  say  it  at  all  as  though  he  meant 
it.  Alice  said  afterward  she  thought  her  sneeze 
had  broken  in  on  the  captain's  denunciation  of  the 
proposed  sea  voyage. 

"  It  was  just  as  though  he  were  going  to  say^ 
it  was  the  most  foolish  and  nonsensical  thing  of 
which  he  had  ever  heard,"  Alice  explained.    "  Oh, 
why  did  I  have  to  go  and  sneeze  just  then?  " 

"  Did  you  want  to  hear  what  he  would  have 
said  ?  "  asked  her  sister. 


io6     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Yes,  I  did.     I  don't  like  Captain  Brisco." 

"  You  mustn't  say  such  things,"  Ruth  cau- 
tioned her.    But  this  was  some  time  later. 

Just  at  present  the  commander  of  the  Mary 
Ellen  was  trying  to  make  his  unexpected  guests 
feel  a  welcome  he  rather  grudgingly  extended. 

"  We  have  been  over  looking  at  the  Ajax"  ex- 
plained Russ,  "  and  we  thought  we'd  stop  in  and 
pay  you  a  call." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I'm  to  carry  the  Ajax  on  deck,  I  be- 
lieve," the  commander  said.  "  Well,  you'll  find 
us  all  pretty  busy  here,"  he  went  on.  "  Mr.  Jep- 
son,  will  you  kindly  go  forward  and  see  how  the 
men  are  coming  on  with  that  caulking  ?  " 

It  was  a  very  different  voice  from  the  one  he 
had  used  when  Ruth,  Alice  and  the  others  had 
been  unseen  listeners. 

"  What  about  the  mainmast  ?  "  asked  Sailor 
Jack.  "  It's  sprung,  as  I  told  you  it  was,  and  un- 
less those  stays " 

"  I'll  look  after  that !  "  interrupted  the  captain. 
"  You  do  as  I  tell  you,  and  leave  that  mast  to  me." 

"  But  you  said  that  it  didn't  need — "  persisted 
the  second  mate. 

"  Never  you  mind  what  I  said !  "  and  the  com- 
mander's voice  was  harsh.  "  I'll  look  after  that. 
Now  you  go  forward !  " 

It  was  more  in  the  nature  of  a  command  than  is 


"ALL  ABOARD!"  jQy 

usual  between  captain  and  mate.  The  girls  felt 
this,  as  well  as  did  the  boys.  But  they  said  noth- 
ing. 

"  Come  along  and  see  how  we  are  progressing," 
continued  Captain  Brisco  in  more  genial  tones,  as 
Jack  Jepson  left  the  cabin. 

"  Then  you  are  going  to  be  ready  in  time  ?  " 
asked  Paul. 

"  Ahead  of  time,"  said  the  commander,  boast- 
fully. 

"  That's  good !  "  exclaimed  Russ.  "  Mr.  Pertell 
is  anxious  not  to  be  delayed." 

"  He  won't  be  on  my  account,"  Captain  Brisco 
assured  the  young  operator.  "  A  few  more  de- 
tails, and  we'll  be  ready  for  sea.  About  time,  too, 
for  this  good  weather  won't  hold  any  too  long 
down  among  those  West  Indian  islands." 

"  Oh,  are  we  going  there  ? "  asked  Alice. 
"That  will  be  delightful!" 

"  I  thought  we  were  to  go  only  to  Florida," 
Ruth  remarked. 

"  There  has  been  a  slight  change  in  the  plans," 
the  captain  said.  "  Mr.  Pertell  and  I  decided  on 
it.  I  believe  it  is  not  generally  known  yet,  but 
there  is  no  secret  about  it.  I  told  him  he  could  get 
better  results  by  going  a  little  farther  south  than 
merely  along  the  Florida  coast,  down  toward 
some  of  the  West  Indies,  and  he  agreed  with 
me. 


I08     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  The  West  Indies,"  mused  Alice  as  she  fol- 
lowed the  others  about  the  refinished  schooner. 
"  I  wonder  if  we  will  get  near  the  '  Hole  in  the 
Wall'  that  Jack  told  about?  I'd  like  to  see  it, 
but  I  suppose  a  hole  in  the  water  is  a  pretty  hard 
thing  to  find." 

Alice  wondered  whether  she  would  see  the  old 
sailor  before  they  went  ashore  again.  She  had 
taken  quite  a  fancy  to  him,  as  had  Ruth,  and  the 
old  salt,  on  his  part,  seemed  to  like  the  moving 
picture  girls  more  than  any  other  members  of  the 
Comet  Film  Company. 

"  I  wonder  what  he  was  doing  all  alone  there 
in  the  cabin  ?  "  mused  Alice  as  she  hung  back  a 
little  while  the  others  were  examining  some 
changes  that  had  been  made  in  the  dining-cabin. 
"  It  seemed  as  though  he  were  trying  to  discover 
some  secret  panel,  a  passage  or  hiding  place,  or 
something  like  that.  And  Captain  Brisco  cer- 
tainly was  rather  brusque  about  it.  I  do  hope 
there  won't  be  any  quarreling  or  mutiny  aboard 
the  Mary  Ellen  when  we  put  out  to  sea." 

For  a  time  Alice  was  a  little  alarmed,  but  she 
soon  recovered  her  composure,  and  was  able  to 
take  her  part  in  the  conversation. 

The  Mary  Ellen  was  indeed  assuming  a  "  ship- 
shape "  appearance.  The  litter  that  had  ob- 
structed her  decks  on  the  first  visit  had  given 


ALL  ABOARD!" 


109 


place  to  a  semblance  of  neatness.  The  craft  had 
been  newly  painted  and  she  glistened  in  the  sun, 
her  brass  work  having  been  highly  polished. 

"  A  few  more  days  and  we'll  pull  out  of  here," 
announced  Captain  Brisco,  as  they  went  up  on 
deck.  "  Then  I  suppose  you  folks  will  begin  to 
cut  up  all  sorts  of  capers,"  and  he  smiled  indul- 
gently. He  seemed  to  have  recovered  his  good 
nature,  or,  rather,  perhaps,  to  have  summoned 
some  of  it  to  be  used  on  this  occasion, 

"  Well,  we'll  leave  the  '  cutting-up '  to  Mr. 
Switzer,"  said  Paul  with  a  laugh.  "  He's  the 
comedian  of  the  company." 

One  of  the  workmen  approached  and  asked  the 
captain  some  question.  It  seemed  to  be  about 
pumps,  though  the  girls  did  not  understand  it 
very  clearly. 

"  You  needn't  bother  to  mend  those  valves," 
the  commander  said.  "  We  shan't  need  the 
pumps  anyhow,  and  there's  no  use  putting  too 
much  time  and  work  on  the  old  hulk.  Pertell 
told  me  to  get  her  ready  for  sea  so  she'd  last  a 
reasonable  length  of  time.  They're  going  to 
wreck  her  anyhow,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  I  know.    But  those  pumps " 

"  Let  'em  go ! "  the  commander  ordered. 
"  Now  about  those  stays,"  and  he  and  the  sailor 
plunged  into  a  mass  of  technical  details  in  which 


IIO     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

the  moving  picture  girls  were  not  interested,  nor, 
I  am  sure,  would  you  be,  my  readers. 

In  spite  of  all  the  work  that  had  been  done  on 
the  Mary  Ellen,  she  was  still  far  from  being  a 
fine  ship.  Many  things  were  left  undone,  as  they 
would  not  show  in  a  picture.  As  the  captain  had 
said,  Mr.  Pertell  was  not  desirous  of  putting  too 
much  time  or  expense  on  her,  just  to  send  her  to 
the  bottom  after  a  few  days'  use.  Still  the  craft 
had  to  be  rendered  seaworthy,  as  some  views 
were  to  be  taken  showing  her  progress  down  the 
coast  to  the  Florida  Straits. 

A  little  later  Captain  Brisco  was  called  below, 
and  he  took  leave  of  his  visitors,  saying  he  would 
be  busy  for  some  hours. 

"  Well,  it's  time  for  us  to  go,"  Ruth  said. 
"  We  promised  to  meet  daddy  at  dinner,"  she 
added  to  her  sister. 

Alice  assented  and  looked  around,  as  though  in 
search  of  someone. 

"What  is  it?"  Ruth  asked. 

'*  I  was  looking  for  Jack,  to  say  good-bye. 
There  he  is  over  there,  and  she  pointed  to  the  old 
man  polishing  the  brass  work  of  the  binnacle  in 
front  of  the  steering  wheel.  "  I'm  going  over 
and  speak  to  him,"  she  added. 

Jack  Jepson  had  his  back  toward  Alice,  and 
was  not  aware  of  her  approach.     She  heard  him 


I 


"ALL  ABOARD!"  IIX 

murmuring  to  himself,  and  the  words  sounded 
strange  to  her — as  strange  as  the  first  ones  she 
had  overheard  from  him  that  day. 

"  It'll  never  do !  It'll  never  do !  "  Jack  Jepson 
was  saying.  "  It's  criminal  wrong,  that's  what  it 
is.  But  I'll  jest  keep  a  sharp  watch,  an'  at  the 
first  sign  of  danger,  I'll — " 

Then  he  heard  the  footfall  of  Alice  on  the 
deck,  and  turned  quickly.  He  smiled  at  her,  and 
the  smile  was  in  strange  contrast  to  his  rather 
ominous  words.  As  Alice  knew  very  little  about 
the  sea  or  boats,  she  paid  no  attention. 

"  I  came  to  bid  you  good-bye,"  she  said.  "  We 
are  going  back  to  New  York  now,  but  we'll  soon 
be  aboard  here  for  a  long  stay,  I  hope.  My,  how 
nice  everything  looks !  " 

"  Yes,  but  it — it's  too  nice !  "  exclaimed  Jack. 

*'  Too  nice  ?  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  she  asked 
wonderingly. 

"  Oh,  well,  nothing,  Miss  Alice.  You  wouldn't 
understand.  I'm  glad  to  see  you.  This  isn't  a 
mate's  work,  properly  speakin',''  he  said,  as  he 
indicated  the  box  of  polish,  "  but  then  we  haven't 
started  discipline  yet.    We'll  do  that  at  sea." 

"  And  I'll  hope  we'll  soon  be  out  on  the  deep," 
voiced  Alice. 

A  week  later  the  entire  moving  picture  com- 
pany that  was  to  take  part  in  the  marine  drama 


II2     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

assembled  at  the  dock  where  the  Mary  Ellen  had 
been  refitted  for  her  last  voyage.  Stores  and 
provisions  had  been  put  aboard,  the  Ajax  lay 
stowed  in  the  cradle  on  deck,  and  the  members  of 
the  company,  the  moving  picture  operators  and 
the  manager  and  his  assistants,  had  sent  their  bag- 
gage aboard.     There  was  plenty  of  extra  film. 

"  All  aboard ! "  called  Captain  Brisco,  and  the 
gangplank  was  about  to  be  hauled  in.  "  All 
aboard!  We  won't  wait  for  him! "  he  went  on, 
speaking  to  the  first  mate  and  to  Mr.  Pertell  who 
stood  near  him. 

"  Won't  wait  for  whom  ?  "  Alice  heard  Mr. 
Pertell  ask. 

"  A  new  hand  I  hired  at  the  last  minute.  He's 
a  good  navigator,  better  than  Jepson,  and  that's 
why  I  took  him  on.  But  he  isn't  here,  and  so 
we'll  go  without  him." 

"  Not  short-handed,  are  you  ?  "  asked  the  man- 
ager, rather  anxiously. 

"  No,  not  for  this  voyage.    I  think " 

But  the  captain  was  interrupted  by  a  shout  up 
the  wharf.  A  man,  seemingly  a  sailor,  came  run- 
ning toward  the  schooner. 

"  There  he  is  now !  "  the  captain  exclaimed. 
"  All  aboard.  Hurry  up,  my  man,  or  you'll  be 
left." 

The  man  flung  himself  on  the  gangplank  which 


"ALL  ABOARD!"  H^ 

was  separated  from  the  dock  by  some  little  dis- 
tance. He  scrambled  aboard,  and  just  then, 
Alice,  standing  near  Jack  Jepson,  heard  the  old 
sailor  utter  an  exclamation  of  surprise,  and  mur- 
mur: 

"  Can  that  be  him  ?  Can  that  be  him — after 
these  years  ?    No,  it  can't  be !  " 

"  All  aboard !  "  cried  Captain  Brisco.  And  the 
Mary  Ellen,  in  charge  of  a  fussy  little  tug,  began 
moving  away  from  the  dock. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


OVERBOARD 


Alice  was  so  impressed  with  what  she  had 
heard  sailor  Jack  say,  that,  in  spite  of  the  desire 
to  give  all  her  attention  to  the  start  of  the  voyage, 
destined  to  be  so  momentous,  she  looked  first  at 
Jepson  and  then  at  the  new  arrival.  The  latter 
appeared  to  be  an  ordinary  sailor,  but  there  was  a 
commanding  air  about  him,  as  though  he  were 
used  to  having  his  own  way.  But  he  was  suffi- 
ciently subservient  to  Captain  Brisco,  saluting 
the  commander  in  formal  fashion. 

"  You're  late !  "  growled  Captain  Brisco. 

"  Yes — couldn't  help  it,"  was  the  almost  cheer- 
ful answer.  "  You  knew  I  wouldn't  be  left 
though,  didn't  you?  " 

"  Well,  I  wasn't  sure  of  it,"  Alice  heard  the 
captain  answer.  "  Get  below,  and  then  we'll  talk 
later." 

Alice  turned  to  see  how  Jack  Jepson  was  taking 
this.    The  old  salt  seemed  to  be  listening  intently, 
but  he  had  his  back  turned. 
114 


OVERBOARD 


"5 


"  He  knows  that  man  who  j  ust  came  aboard," 
decided  Alice,  "  and  there  is  something  queer 
about  it  all.  In  fact  there  is  something  queer 
about  this  vessel  and  Captain  Brisco.  I  feel  as 
though  I  were  in  the  midst  of  a  mystery.  I'm 
going  to  see  if  I  can't  solve  it." 

That  was  Alice's  way.  She  always  did  like  to 
solve  puzzles,  from  the  time  when  she  was  a  small 
child,  and  she  went  at  this  one  in  much  the  same 
way  as  had  been  her  habit  in  the  case  of  the  sim- 
ple ones  in  the  juvenile  papers  she  took  when  a 
little  girl. 

"  There's  something  between  Captain  Brisco, 
Jack  Jepson  and  this  new  man,"  Alice  decided. 
"  Jack  is  afraid  of  being  recognized,  and  yet  he 
wants  to  make  sure  who  this  new  man  is.  Can  it 
have  anything  to  do  with  the  mutiny,  I  won- 
der?" 

It  was  a  question  she  could  not  answer  just 
then.  She  resolved  to  be  on  the  watch,  to  look 
and  listen,  without  saying  much,  until  she  had  in 
her  mental  grasp  some  of  the  loose  ends  of  the 
puzzle. 

Ruth  was  some  distance  off,  talking  to  her 
father.  Mr.  DeVere,  in  spite  of  the  warmth  of 
the  day,  had  a  light  silk  scarf  about  his  throat, 
which  had  pained  him  during  the  night.  The 
other  members  of  the  company  were  scattered 


H6     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

about  the  schooner  which  was  being  towed  out  to 
sea.  Miss  Pennington  and  Miss  Dixon  were 
waving  to  some  young  men  who  had  come  to  see 
them  off.  Mr.  Wellington  Bunn's  face  wore  a 
glum  look.  Perhaps  he  saw  no  chance  of  doing 
anything  with  his  favorite  role  of  Hamlet  in  this 
marine  story  that  was  soon  to  be  enacted. 

Alice  heard  Jack  muttering  to  himself.  She 
could  not  catch  all  the  words,  but  she  heard  him 
say: 

"  Yes,  it  must  be  the  same  one !  He  hasn't 
changed  much — not  as  much  as  I  have.  He  won't 
know  me.    But  what  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

The  old  salt's  musings,  however,  were  cut 
short,  for  Captain  Brisco  called  to  him. 

"  I  say  there,  Mr.  Jepson,"  ordered  the  com- 
mander, "  will  you  go  forward,  and  see  how  the 
bitts  are  standing  up  under  the  strain  of  that 
hawser?  I  don't  want  them  to  pull  out,  and 
they're  none  too  strong.    Lively  now !  " 

"Aye,  aye,  sir!"  dutifully  answered  the  sec- 
ond mate,  and  he  shuffled  off  along  the  deck, 
while  Captain  Brisco  and  the  new  arrival  went 
below,  being,  apparently,  on  very  friendly  terms. 

"  And  that  is  another  queer  part  of  it," 
mused  Alice.  "  That  new  man  is  supposed  to  be 
a  common  sailor — he  must  be,  as  all  the  offices, 
from  captain  down,  are  filled.     And  yet  Captain 


OVERBOARD  uf 

Brisco  treats  him  as  an  equal.    I  can't  understand 

it." 

None  of  the  others  of  the  moving  picture  com- 
pany appeared  to  find  anything  odd  in  the  recep- 
tion of  the  man  who  had  almost  been  left.  In 
fact,  save  for  Alice  and  Jack  Jepson,  no  one  paid 
any  attention  to  him.  As  the  captain  and  the  new 
man  whom  he  had  addressed  as  "  Hen  Lacomb  " 
went  below,  the  attention  of  Alice  was  taken  by 
Ruth. 

"  Don't  you  think,  dear,"  her  sister  said,  "  that 
we  had  better  get  our  possessions  in  order.  I  un- 
derstand that  some  pictures  are  to  be  taken  aboard 
the  schooner  here,  and  we  will  want  to  get  our 
costumes  out  where  we  can  easily  reach  them." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  murmured  Alice.  "  But  I 
wonder  who  he  is?"  she  added,  half  uncon- 
sciously. 

"What  in  the  world  are  you  talking  about?" 
asked  Ruth  in  some  surprise.  "  Do  you  mean 
that  young  man  who  was  waving  to  Miss 
Dixon?"  for  a  certain  youth  seemed  very  loath 
to  bid  farewell  to  the  former  variety  actress. 

"Yes.  Who  is  he?"  asked  Alice,  accepting 
this  chance  to  get  out  of  answering,  though  what 
she  had  meant  was  the  identity  of  the  mysterious 
Hen  Lacomb,  and  not  the  youth  on  the  dock. 

"  I've  seen  him  before,"  Ruth  said. 


ng     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Who  ?  "  asked  Alice  quickly,  her  mind  stil! 
intent  on  the  mystery. 

"  Why,  Alice,  how  odd  you  are !  That  young 
man  of  whom  we  are  speaking,  to  be  sure.  I 
mean  I've  seen  him  around  the  studio.  He  seems 
to  be  quite  impressed  by  Miss  Dixon." 

"  Yes,"  said  Alice,  vaguely.  "  Well,  let's  go 
below,"  she  suggested.  "  You  notice  how  nauti- 
cal I'm  getting,"  she  went  on. 

"  Forgetful  you  mean,"  supplemented  Ruth. 
"  Well,  anyhow,  we  have  fine  weather  for  the 
start." 

The  schooner  was  well  out  from  the  dock  now, 
and  the  pilot  was  in  charge,  so  there  was  nothing 
for  Captain  Brisco  to  do  for  the  present.  He  had 
gone  to  his  cabin,  and  the  stranger,  or,  rather, 
Hen  Lacomb,  to  give  him  the  name  bestowed  on 
him,  was  with  the  commander. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  what  they  were  talking  about," 
said  Alice,  and,  without  intending  to  do  so,  she 
spoke  aloud. 

"  Who?  "  asked  Ruth.  "  Really,  you  are  say- 
ing the  strangest  things  this  morning,  Sister 
mine!  " 

"  Oh,  I  was  thinking — thinking — " 

Alice  was  rather  at  a  loss  for  words  to  explain. 

"  You  must  have  some  of  your  new  roles  on 
the  brain,"  went  on  Ruth.     "  I  know  I've  been 


OVERBOARD  ug 

doing  a  lot  of  thinking  over  mine.  They  are 
nearly  all  nice  ones,  I'm  glad  to  say,  but  I  don't 
like  the  parts  we  have  to  take  in  the  shipwreck. 
Fancy  having  actually  to  jump  into  the  water." 

That  was  one  of  the  things  required,  according 
to  the  scenario. 

"  There's  no  danger,"  Alice  said,  as  she  and 
her  sister  reached  the  stateroom  they  were  to 
share. 

"  Oh,  but  think  of  sharks  in  those  Southern 
waters ! " 

"  I'm  not  going  to  think  of  them,"  declared 
Alice.  "  Besides,  we  shall  be  in  the  water  only  a 
short  time,  and  the  motorboat  will  pick  us  up. 
It  will  be  nice  and  warm." 

The  plan  of  the  shipwreck  included  the  jump- 
ing overboard  of  some  of  the  company,  and  their 
rescue  in  small  boats,  or  by  the  motorboat  Ajax, 
that  would  follow,  with  Russ  in  it  taking  the 
moving  pictures  of  the  "  thrilling  scenes." 

"  Well,  that  doesn't  come  until  toward  the 
end,"  Ruth  remarked,  "  so  I'm  not  going  to  think 
about  it  until  then.     Now  let's  unpack." 

Ruth  and  Alice  had  comfortable,  if  rather  re- 
stricted, quarters  in  a  small  cabin  containing  two 
bunks.  Their  father  was  near  them,  and  the 
other  members  of  the  company  had  rooms  scat- 
tered about.    The  ship's  crew,  of  course,  berthed 


I2o     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

forward,  and  the  two  mates,  of  whom  Jack  Jep« 
son  was  one,  were  quartered  with  the  captain. 
Alice  wondered  what  would  be  the  standing  of 
Hen  Lacomb. 

She  learned  a  little  later  when  she  saw  him 
taking  his  bag  "  aft."  That  meant  he  was  to  be 
treated  as  an  officer.  There  is  all  the  difference 
in  the  world  on  a  sailing  ship,  whether  a  man 
bunks  "  forward  "  or  "  aft."  In  the  latter  case 
he  is  either  an  officer  or  a  passenger,  and  in  the 
former  case  he  is  classed  as  a  member  of  the 
crew,  a  "  foremast  hand,"  and,  as  such,  has  no 
authority. 

"  Hen  Lacomb  is  evidently  someone  in  power," 
decided  Alice,  though  she  said  nothing  to  her 
sister  or  father,  or  even  Jack.  She  managed  to 
learn,  by  judicious  questions,  that  Hen,  as  she 
began  to  think  of  him,  was  a  friend  of  Captain 
Brisco,  and  a  sort  of  passenger-helper  on  the 
Mary  Ellen. 

And  now  that  the  voyage  was  really  started, 
those  who  were  to  take  part  in  the  play  began  to 
consider  their  roles. 

In  brief  the  plan  was  this.  The  schooner,  un- 
der her  own  sail,  would  proceed  to  the  warm  West 
Indian  waters  and  clime,  and  there,  when  suit- 
able surroundings  were  found,  the  taking  of  the 
main  scenes  in  the  big  drama  would  begin. 


OVERBOARD  121 

I  shall  not  weary  you  with  an  account  of  the 
trip  down.  In  spite  of  her  age,  the  schooner 
proved  a  good  sailor,  for  she  had  been  well  re- 
fitted, even  if  she  was  to  be  wrecked.  Day  after 
day  passed  and  the  sun  shone  warmer  as  they 
came  farther  and  farther  south. 

Some  few  scenes  were  filmed  aboard  the  craft, 
but  there  was  not  much  work  for  anyone,  and  the 
time  was  most  enjoyable.  Even  Mr.  Sneed,  the 
"  human  grouch,"  consented  to  smile,  now  and 
then. 

They  passed  Key  West,  but  did  not  dock,  and 
kept  on.  Alice  wondered  if  they  would  come 
near  the  "  Hole  in  the  Wall,"  but  she  did  not  like 
to  ask,  for  fear  of  making  trouble  for  Jack.  She 
did  not  know  how  much  of  his  story  he  wanted 
known  to  those  aboard  the  ship. 

It  was  a  warm,  sunny  day,  and  Mr.  Pertell 
had  announced  that  he  would  begin  some  of  the 
more  important  scenes  of  the  drama  in  a  short 
time.  The  Mary  Ellen  was  plowing  through  the 
blue  waters,  bending  over  under  a  good  wind. 
Nearly  all  the  members  of  the  company  were  out 
on  deck,  under  awnings.  Alice  saw  Jack  Jepson 
at  some  work  on  the  port  rail,  and  noticed  Hen 
Lacomb  and  the  captain  stroll  toward  him.  The 
two  latter  seemed  to  converse  for  a  few  minutes, 


I22     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

when  suddenly  there  was  a  heavy  lurch  and  roll 

to  the  craft. 

"  Mind  your  helm  there !  "  sang  out  Captain 

Brisco  angrily  to  the  steersman.    At  the  same  time 

there  rang  out  a  cry  from  Hen  Lacomb. 
"  Man  overboard !     Man  overboard !  " 
Alice,  startled,  leaped  to  her  feet.     Jack  Jej> 

son  had  disappeared! 


CHAPTER  XV 

"  SAIL  HO  !  " 

Alice  DeVere  was  not  an  ordinary  sort  of 
girl.  She  may  have  been,  once,  but  that  was  be- 
fore her  advent  in  moving  pictures.  There  had 
been  times  when  a  sudden  emergency  would  cause 
her  to  feel  faint,  if  not  actually  to  succumb  to 
that  interesting  ailment,  which  is  so  useful,  es- 
pecially in  stories  and  books. 

But  Alice,  who  was  the  nearest  to  the  scene  of 
what  had  just  happened,  neither  fainted,  nor  be- 
came unduly  excited.  She  had  seen  too  many 
emergencies  in  the  work  of  taking  moving  pic- 
tures to  become  "  rattled,"  which  is  not  used  in  a 
slangy  sense  at  all,  but  merely  to  indicate  that 
one's  nerves  vibrate  too  rapidly.  Consequently, 
after  her  first  scream,  Alice  was  almost  as  calm 
and  collected  as  could  be  expected  of  a  veteran 
sailor. 

"Man  overboard!"  Alice  cried,  echoing  the 
shout  of  Hen  Lacomb,  who,  she  noticed,  after  his 
first  hesitation,  began  lowering  a  boat,  or  trying 
to,  for  it  needed  two  at  that  task. 
123 


124 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


"  I'll  help !  "  cried  Alice  rushing  to  the  aid  of 
the  strange  man  who  seemed  so  friendly  with 
Captain  Brisco. 

"Oh — you — !"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  swift 
look  at  her.  Then  he  resumed  the  work  of  loos- 
ing the  ropes  so  they  would  run  freely  in  the  pul- 
ley blocks  of  the  davits. 

Meanwhile  Captain  Brisco  had  bawled  out  an 
order  to  the  helmsman  to  bring  the  ship  up  in  the 
wind.  A  sailor  had  tossed  overboard  a  life-ring, 
and  then  came  to  help  Lacomb  lower  the  boat,  for 
Alice  found  it  beyond  her  strength,  eager  as  she 
was. 

"  There  he  is !  "  cried  Russ,  as  he  rushed  to  the 
rail  beside  Alice.  He  pointed  to  the  water.  For- 
tunately the  sea  was  smooth,  and  rising  and  fall- 
ing on  the  waves  could  be  seen  the  head  of  the 
old  sailor. 

"  Oh !  Oh !  "  gasped  Ruth,  who  glided  over  to 
the  side  of  Alice.  "  If — if  a  shark  should  come 
now." 

"  There  aren't  any  around  here ! "  declared 
Russ.  He  did  not  know  whether  there  were  or 
not,  but  he  said  that  to  make  the  girls  feel  more 
comfortable.  After  all,  if  there  were  sharks, 
whatever  he  said  would  be  of  no  effect,  and  it 
was  better  to  take  the  best  view  of  it,  he  thought. 

"  Lower  away ! "  cried  Hen  Lacomb,  and  the 


"SAIL  HO!"  I25 

boat  went  down  to  the  water.  Two  sailors,  be- 
side himself,  slid  down  the  ropes  into  it,  and  took 
the  oars.  They  cast  off  the  davit  blocks,  and  be- 
gan rowing  toward  the  bobbing  head.  Old  Jack 
could  swim  well,  it  seemed,  in  spite  of  his  age. 
The  water  was  warm,  and  it  was  broad  daylight, 
so  he  was  in  comparatively  little  danger — except 
from  sharks  and  from  the  fact  that  he  had  on  his 
clothes,  which  would  soon  become  soaked  and 
hamper  him. 

But  no  sharks  appeared;  that  menacing  tri- 
angular fin  which  marks  them  was  not  seen  cut- 
ting the  water,  and  no  big  twelve-foot  man-eater 
was  observed  to  turn  on  his  back  in  order  to 
bring  his  curious,  under-shot  mouth  with  its  rows 
of  keen  teeth  to  bear  on  poor  Jack  Jepson. 

If  a  shark  had  appeared,  it  would  probably 
have  put  an  end  to  the  plans  of  Mr.  Pertell  to 
have  his  company  give  an  idea  of  shipwreck  by 
leaping  into  the  water.  No  one  would  have 
jumped  into  those  waters  had  they  been  shark-in- 
fested. But,  as  I  have  said,  none  of  the  tigers 
of  the  deep  showed,  and,  a  little  later,  Jack  was 
being  lifted  into  the  small  boat.  They  had 
reached  him  just  when  his  strength  was  about  ex- 
hausted. 

"  Oh,  have  they  saved  him  ?  "  asked  Miss  Pen- 
nington, coming  on  deck  very  pale.     Alice  said 


I26     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

afterward  she  had  not  had  time  to  put  on  hei 
"  war  paint." 

"I — I  can't  bear  to  look!"  faltered  Miss 
Dixon,  following  her  friend.  "  Tell  me  dear — is 
he — is  he  dead?  "  she  asked  of  Alice. 

"  Dead !  No,  of  course  not !  "  said  Alice,  none 
too  politely.  "  Don't  be  silly !  He  just  fell  over- 
board, and  they  got  him  back  again;  that's  all." 

Miss  Dixon  looked  angry  and  flounced  back  to 
her  cabin  with  her  chum.  Jack  and  his  rescuers 
were  hoisted  up  in  the  boat,  the  other  sailors 
hauling  on  the  ropes,  the  blocks  of  which  were 
hooked  fast  to  rings  in  the  bow  and  stern  posts 
of  the  rowing  craft. 

"  Well,  you  tried  to  leave  us  rather  suddenly," 
said  Mr.  Pertell.  "  Don't  go  trying  that  again, 
Jack — at  least  until  we  finish  making  the  pic- 
tures," he  went  on  with  a  whimsical  smile. 
"  You're  in  too  many  important  scenes  to  be  lost 
that  way." 

"  I  haven't  any  fancy  that  way  myself,"  said 
Jack,  who  seemed  little  the  worse  for  his  unex- 
pected bath. 

"  How  did  it  happen  ?  "  asked  Captain  Brisco 
of  his  mate,  though  it  seemed  as  though  he  had 
been  near  enough  to  have  seen  for  himself. 

"  Why,  I  was  standing  near  the  rail,"  Jack  ex- 
plained, "  talkin'  to  Mr.  Lacomb,  here,"  and  he 


SAIL  HO! 


127 


indicated  the  strange  man,  "  when,  all  at  once  the 
ship  gives  a  lurch,  and — well,  I  went  over,  that's 
all  I  guess,"  and  he  looked  at  Lacomb,  as  though 
to  get  him  to  confirm  the  account. 

"  Yes  that's  right,"  said  the  other.  "  I — I  tried 
to  grab  him,  but  I  was  too  late.  I  nearly  went 
over  myself,"  he  added,  grimly. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  old  salt,  "  you  did,"  and  he 
shot  a  look  at  the  other. 

Did  Alice  fancy  it,  or  did  Lacomb  wince,  and 
shrink  back?  And  did  a  look  pass  between  him 
and  Captain  Brisco — a  look  full  of  meaning? 

Alice  was  puzzling  over  these  questions  in  her 
own  mind,  when  the  helmsman  spoke. 

"  It  wasn't  my  fault,"  he  said.  "  I  was  steering 
all  right,  but  Captain  Brisco  came  and  spoke  to 
me  and  handed  me  a  paper.  I  took  one  hand  off 
the  wheel,  and  the " 

"  No  one  has  said  it  was  your  fault,"  broke  in 
the  commander  quickly.  "  I  was  giving  you  a 
copy  of  the  sailing  orders  for  the  day.  I  wouldn't 
have  bothered  you  if  I  had  known  a  puff  of  wind 
and  a  big  wave  were  coming  along  together,  to 
snatch  the  wheel  out  of  your  grip.  But  it  wasn't 
your  fault.  However,  no  harm  is  done.  You  had 
better  get  below,  Mr.  Jepson,  and  put  on  some 
dry  clothes.  Mr.  Lacomb  will  stand  watch  until 
you  feel  all  right  again." 


I28     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Oh,  I'll  be  all  right  in  a  little  while,"  Jack 
said.  "  I  don't  need  no  one  to  stand  my  trick 
on  deck.     I'll  be  back  shortly." 

He  went  below,  the  water  dripping  from  him. 
The  ship  was  put  back  on  her  course.  The  ex- 
citement had  not  lasted  long. 

"  Too  bad  you  didn't  have  a  camera  ready, 
Russ,"  said  Paul  to  the  operator,  when  matters 
were  normal  aboard  the  Mary  Ellen  once  more. 
"  You  might  have  filmed  a  good  rescue  scene." 

"  I  was  too  much  excited  to  think  about  that," 
Russ  admitted.  "  Besides,  we  are  going  to  have 
plenty  of  rescue  stuff  in  a  few  days,  and  this 
wasn't  a  particularly  thrilling  one.  Poor  old 
Jack !    I  wonder  how  it  feels  to  fall  overboard  ?  " 

"  Not  very  pleasant,"  Paul  said.  He  had  done 
it  more  than  once  in  the  interests  of  the  pictures. 

Alice,  going  below  for  something  a  little  later, 
met  the  old  salt  on  his  way  to  the  deck  again,  he 
having  changed  to  dry  garments. 

"  Oh,  are  you  all  right?"  she  asked  anxiously, 
for  she  and  her  sister,  as  well  as  Mr.  DeVere,  had 
taken  a  liking  to  Jepson.     "  Are  you  all  right  ?  " 

"  All  right,  Miss  Alice,"  he  replied.  "  No  harm 
done  at  all." 

"  I  thought  sailors  never  fell  overboard,"  she 
said,  half  jokingly.  "  I  supposed  they  were  so 
sure-footed  that  accidents  like  that  never  hap- 
pened to  them." 


"SAIL  HO!"  129 

"  They  don't — not  usual  like,  Miss,"  said  Jack 
with  that  earnest,  honest  air  that  characterized 
him. 

"  Then  how  did  you  come  to  do  it?  " 

"  I — I  didn't  do  it,  Miss,"  Jack  answered.  "  I 
didn't  fall  overboard." 

"  You  didn't  ?  "  cried  Alice,  not  noticing  the 
accent  Jepson  put  on  one  word. 

"No,  Miss.     Not  exactly." 

He  looked  around  as  though  to  make  sure  no 
one  was  listening,  and  then,  in  a  hoarse  whisper, 
he  said : 

"  I  didn't  fall  overboard.    I  was  tossed!  " 

Then,  before  she  could  ask  him  what  he  meant, 
he  gave  her  a  warning  glance,  and  passed  on. 
Just  as  he  did  so,  Captain  Brisco  came  along  the 
passage  way. 

"  I  was  just  coming  down  to  see  how  you 
were,"  he  said,  with  a  quick  look  at  Alice.  "  I 
didn't  know  you  were  here,  Miss  DeVere,"  he 
continued,  rather  awkwardly.  "  Hope  the  ac- 
cident didn't  upset  you." 

"  Oh  no,"  she  said,  glad  that  it  was  rather 
dark,  and  that  the  commander  could  not  notice 
how  pale  she  had  become  at  hearing  the  ominous 
words  of  the  old  sailor. 

"  Accidents  will  happen,  but  they  don't  always 
end  so  luckily,"  the  captain  went  on.    Jack  Jepson 


!30     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

had  passed  up  on  deck,  and  Alice,  not  feeling  in 
the  mood  for  talking,  passed  to  her  cabin.  Cap- 
tain Brisco,  after  a  moment  of  hesitation,  went 
up  on  deck  again,  and,  had  anyone  observed  him, 
they  would  have  seen  him  in  close  conversation 
with  Hen  Lacomb.  The  two  men  spoke  in  low 
tones. 

Jack  Jepson  was  soon  himself  again,  and  on 
duty  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  But  he 
had  created  a  very  queer  state  of  mind  in  Alice 
DeVere.  Her  suspicious  were  increased,  and  she 
asked  herself  a  multitude  of  questions  she  could 
not  answer.  Nor  dared  she  repeat  them,  even  to 
her  sister. 

"If  he  were  tossed  overboard,  who  did  it?" 
she  asked  herself.  "And  why?  The  only  one 
near  him  was  Lacomb,  and  what  object  could  he 
have  in  wanting  to  drown  Jack?  Oh,  I  can't 
understand  it!    I  must  ask  Jack  what  he  meant." 

This  was  not  so  easy  to  do  as  Alice  had  ex- 
pected. She  wanted  to  speak  to  the  old  sailor 
privately,  but  there  was  no  chance. 

That  afternoon  there  began  the  taking  of  some 
of  the  more  important  scenes  of  the  marine 
drama.  These  scenes  were  those  that  had  to  be 
filmed  on  the  ship  itself,  and  they  kept  everyone 
busy.  Besides,  Alice  did  not  want  to  make  too 
obvious  an  effort  to  talk  to  the  old  salt,  as  she 


"SAIL  HO!"  1^1 

feared  Captain  Brisco  would  become  suspicious. 
There  was  a  nameless  mystery  in  the  air  that  had 
its  effect  on  Alice.  Ruth  noticed  a  difference  in 
her  sister,  and  questioned  her  about  it,  but  Alice 
was  able  to  say  it  was  due  to  the  difficult  and  ex- 
acting work  of  the  new  drama,  and,  in  part,  it 
was. 

Several  days  passed,  and  she  had  had  no  chance 
to  speak  to  Jack.  Each  day  was  filled  with  work, 
or  rehearsals,  and  some  of  the  films  had  to  be 
taken  several  times,  due  to  the  uncertain  footing 
on  the  deck  of  the  ship,  which  produced  awkward 
motions  on  the  part  of  the  actors. 

It  was  on  a  warm  afternoon,  with  a  hint  of  a 
storm  in  the  atmosphere,  when  Mr.  Pertell  said: 

"  Well,  I  guess  that  will  do  for  a  while.  This 
will  pretty  nearly  bring  us  up  to  the  shipwreck 
scene.  We  shall  have  to  make  a  landing  on  one 
of  the  islands  here,  to  get  the  proper  back- 
ground." 

They  were  then  well  down  among  the  West 
Indies. 

"Where  do  we  land?"  asked  Alice,  who  was 
on  deck  with  her  sister,  standing  near  Jack  Jepson, 
who  was  acting  as  lookout,  with  a  telescope  in 
his  hand. 

"Well,  I'm  not  particular,"  Mr.  Pertell  said 
"  Perhaps  Jack  can  suggest  a  good  place." 


132      THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Well,  I  know  something  about  the  locality 
here,"  the  old  sailor  answered,  and  he  looked  at 
Alice  with  a  friendly  wink.  "  I  shouldn't  want 
to  go  ashore  at  the  place  where  I  escaped  from 
after  that  mutiny,"  he  went  on.  "  They  might 
not  want  to  let  me  go  again." 

"  No,  that's  so,"  agreed  Mr.  Pertell.  "  It 
might  not  be  just  the  thing,  though  you  could 
prove  your  innocence." 

"  No,  I  can't !  That's  the  trouble !  "  cried  Jack, 
who  had  told  his  story  to  the  manager.  "  I  don't 
want  to  be  caught,  and  put  in  jail.  I'm  going 
to  keep  away  from  that  island  where  I  was  locked 
up." 

"  Which  one  was  it  ?  "  asked  Ruth. 

"  I  don't  know  the  name,"  Jack  said,  "  but  I 
can  tell  it  the  minute  I  set  eyes  on  it.  I  don't 
want  to  go  there.    I  had  enough — " 

Jack  paused  suddenly.  The  glass  went  to  his 
eye,  and  he  called  out: 

"Sail  ho!" 

"Where  away?"  demanded  the  helmsman. 

"  Two  points  off  on  the  lee  bow.  She's  a  small 
steamer,  and  she — she's  flying  the  British  flag!" 
added  the  old  man. 

A  strange  look  of  fear  came  over  his  face. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


THE  ACCUSATION 


*'  What's  this  ?  "  demanded  Captain  Brisco, 
coming  on  deck  just  then.    "  What's  up?  " 

"  Sail  ho !  "  repeated  Jack  Jepson.  "  Over 
there,  Captain ! "  and  he  pointed,  and  extented 
the  telescope.  Alice  noticed  that  the  hand  of  the 
old  salt  trembled,  though  usually  he  was  as  steady 
as  the  proverbial  surgeon. 

"  Hum !  Yes.  One  of  the  English  revenue 
ships,"  remarked  Captain  Brisco.  "  It's  the  first 
one  we've  met  down  here." 

"It  is  a  British  vessel,  isn't  it?"  asked  Jack 
Jepson,  and  there  was  a  queer  strain  in  his  voice. 

"Yes,"  replied  his  superior.     "What  of  it?" 

"Oh,  nothin'sir!    Nothin'." 

But  Alice  thought  it  was  something. 

"  Well,  we  haven't  any  need  to  speak  to  her," 
went  on  Captain  Brisco.  "  We're  going  to  an- 
chor soon." 

"  Anchor  ?  "  asked  Jepson. 

*'  Yes,  they  want  to  take  some  of  their  pic- 
133 


!34     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

tures ! "  It  was  evident  to  Alice,  from  the  tone 
of  voice  in  which  Captain  Brisco  spoke,  that  he 
had  little  sympathy  with  the  work  of  the  film 
actors.  But  he  had  been  hired  to  do  his  part  with 
the  ship,  and  must  carry  out  his  agreement  with 
Mr.  Pertell. 

The  captain  handed  back  the  glass,  and  went 
to  consult  with  the  manager  about  making  a  land- 
ing. They  were  near  several  small  islands,  any 
one  of  which  would  probably  do  as  a  background 
for  some  of  the  picture-play  scenes. 

Left  to  himself  Jack  Jepson  took  another  long 
look  at  the  oncoming  steamer. 

Alice  watched  him  curiously. 

"  Yes,  she's  a  lime-juicer,"  he  remarked,  and 
something  like  a  sigh  escaped  him. 

"A — a  lime-juicer?"  repeated  Alice  in  some 
surprise.    "  I  thought  you  said  she  was  a  steamer." 

"  So  she  is.  But  we  old  sailors  used  to  call  all 
British  ships  '  lime-juicers,'  because  they  used  to 
be  the  only  ones  that  was  compelled  by  law  to 
carry  lime  juice." 

"Why  lime  juice?  "  Alice  wanted  to  know. 

"  To  prevent  scurvy,  Miss.  Lime  juice,  pota- 
toes or  anything  like  that  will  keep  sailors  from 
the  scurvy  disease,  Miss.  They  found  it  out,  the 
Britishers  did,  and  made  their  ships  carry  such 
stuff.     Lime  juice  is  easier  to  stow  away  than 


THE  ACCUSATION  i^ 

potatoes,  and  every  sailor  had  to  have  his  share. 

"  Scurvy  is  a  bad  disease,  Miss.  It's  terrible, 
and  though  lots  of  fun  was  made  of  the  lime  juice 
British  ships,  they  done  their  duty,  Miss.  It  got 
so  other  nations  had  to  fall  into  line.  And,  though 
lime  juice  isn't  as  needful  as  it  was,  'cause  they 
have  other  things  that  do  as  well,  perhaps,  I 
always  think  of  a  Britisher  as  a  lime-juicer." 

"  I  see,"  murmured  Alice.  "  Yes,  I  can  see  the 
English  flag,"  she  went  on,  as  she  looked  through 
the  glass  Jack  passed  to  her.  "  She  is  headed 
right  for  us,  too." 

"  That's  what  I  make  out,  Miss.  And  I  wish 
it  was  my  watch  below;  I  sure  do,  Miss!  " 

"  Why,  you  aren't  thinking  that  they  may  be 
after  you,  are  you,  Jack?  After  you  on  that  old 
mutiny  charge?  " 

"  They  might  be,  Miss,"  he  said  in  a  whisper, 
looking  cautiously  around.  "  You  see  that  charge 
isn't  dead,  and  then  there's  the  one  of  escapin' 
from  an  English  prison.  They  might  over- 
look the  mutiny,  especially  as  they  may  not 
have  all  their  witnesses  now — some  of  'em  may 
be  dead.  But  an  English  prison  officer  never 
forgets,  nor  forgives,  an  escape,  and  the  law 
doesn't  either.  If  they  was  to  see  me,  I'd  be  taken 
back  to  stand  the  charges  ag'in  me." 

"  But   how   would  they   know   you  ? "   asked 


I36     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

Alice.  "  Besides,  it  isn't  at  all  likely  that  anyone 
on  that  vessel  had  anything  to  do  with  your  being 
taken  into  custody  on  the  mutiny  charge.  That 
was  years  ago." 

"  I  know  Miss,  but  they  might  remember  me, 
even  if  I  have  changed  a  lot.  And  this  is  mostly 
English  waters  around  here.  English  islands, 
too.  It  was  somewhere  about  here  I  was  im- 
prisoned. Before  I  set  foot  on  land,  I'm  going 
to  find  out  if  it's  English,  and  if  it  is,  I'm  goin' 
to  stay  on  board.  I'm  not  goin'  to  take  any 
chances." 

"  But  can't  they  arrest  you  at  sea,  if  there 
should  be  such  a  possibility  that  they  recognized 
you?" 

"  Not  if  I'm  three  miles  from  land,  I  think. 
Still,  I  may  be  wrong  about  that.  I  wish  I 
hadn't  come  on  this  voyage,  that's  a  fact.  I  don't 
like  the  sight  of  that  English  flag." 

"  Don't  worry,"  advised  Alice.  "  There  isn't 
one  chance  in  a  thousand  that  you  would  be  rec- 
ognized after  these  years.  In  the  first  place, 
you  have  changed  a  lot.  And,  in  the  second  place, 
probably  the  English  officers  who  arrested  you, 
and  the  others,  are  in  some  other  part  of  the 
world  now.  Why  do  you  think  they  may  be  on 
that  steamer  ?  " 

"  Well,  things  don't  change  down  here  as  much 


THE  ACCUSATION  j^ 

as  you  might  think,"  replied  Jack,  as  he  and  Alice 
watched  the  steamer  coming  nearer.  "And  an 
Englishman  is  less  likely  to  change  than  anybody 
else,  Miss.  He'll  often  stay  in  the  same  berth 
until  he  dies.  So  it's  likely  some  of  the  same 
officers  who  were  around  here  when  I  was  ar- 
rested are  here  yet.  And  they  may  be  on  that 
vessel." 

"  But  how  can  they  recognize  you  ?  "  Alice 
persisted. 

"  Well,  if  they  didn't  know  me,  they  might 
know  this  ship." 

"  This  ship !  Why,  this  is  only  a  small  vessel, 
and  yours  was  a  big  five-master." 

"  I  know,  Miss,  I  know,"  said  Jack,  with  a 
nervous  look  over  his  shoulder.  "  But  here's  a 
secret  I  haven't  told  to  anyone  yet.  This  may 
be  the  Mary  Ellen,  but  she  used  to  be  the  Hal- 
cyon!" 

Alice  started  back  in  surprise. 

"  The  Halcyon!  "  she  gasped.  "  How  could 
it  be?" 

"  This  way,  Miss.  They  built  her  over,  cut 
down  her  length,  and  changed  her  so  hardly 
anybody  would  recognize  her.  But  I  knew  the 
Mary  Ellen  for  the  Halcyon  almost  as  soon  as 
I  came  aboard." 

"  And  is  that  why  you  acted  so — so  queer  ?  " 


I38     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Partly — yes.  You  see  she  was  first  the 
Mary  Ellen  and  the  mutineers  named  her  the 
Halcyon.  Then,  when  she  was  rebuilt  she  became 
Mary  Ellen  again." 

"  But  I  never  knew  they  could  make  vessels 
over,"  Alice  protested. 

— "  Oh,  yes,  it's  often  done,"  the  sailor  assured 
her.  "  This  certainly  was  the  old  Halcyon,  as  she 
was  called  when  the  mutineers  had  her,  and  any- 
one who  had  sailed  in  her  would  know  it.  A 
sailor's  eye  can't  be  deceived.  There's  others  on 
board  as  know  it,  too." 

"  Others  here?    Of  the  mutinous  crew?  " 

"Hush,  Miss,  if  you  please!  Not  so  loud! 
Yes,  others  who  were  in  the  mutiny,  but  who  got 
off  scott  free,  while  I  was  the  one  to  suffer.  But 
they're  tryin'  to  keep  under  cover.  There's  a 
game  afoot,  but  I'll  spoil  it  if  I  can — that  is,  if 
this  British  steamer  don't  make  trouble  for  me." 

Alice's  head  seemed  to  swim.  She  was  getting 
into  the  depths  of  the  mystery  now  with  a  ven- 
geance. What  did  it  all  mean?  To  what  did 
Jack  have  reference?  Could  it  be  that  Captain 
Brisco,  and  the  man  with  whom  he  was  so 
friendly,  were  in  a  plot? 

Alice  felt  as  if  she  must  tell  someone.  It  was 
too  big  a  secret  for  her  to  keep  to  herself. 

One  thing  seemed  necessary.     She  must  rid 


THE  ACCUSATION  j^g 

Jack  of  some  of  his  fear  of  being  arrested  again. 

"  But  if  the  ship  is  changed  so,  how  could 
any  of  the  British  officers,  provided  any  are  on 
that  steamer,  recognize  her  ?  "  Alice  asked. 

"  I  don't  know  how,  but  I'm  sure  they  could," 
said  Jack,  rather  unreasonably.  "  And  you  mark 
my  words.  They'll  see  us  and  in  spite  of  our 
change  of  rig,  they  will  want  to  speak  us.  A 
sailor  never  forgets  a  ship.  Of  course  there  may 
be  no  officers  on  that  steamer  who  would  know 
the  old  Halcyon,  but  ag'in,  there  may  be.  I'm 
afeered,  Miss." 

"Oh,  but  you  needn't  be.  Mr.  Pertell  will 
make  it  all  right  even  if " 

"  He  isn't  bigger  than  Johnnie  Bull,"  said  Jack 
ominously,  "  though  Mr.  Pertell  is  a  good  friend 
of  mine.  Ha!  Didn't  I  tell  you?  There  they 
come  right  for  us,  and  they're  signallin'  us  to  lay 
to." 

It  was  evident  that  something  had  taken  place 
aboard  the  steamer.  A  signal  flag  broke  out  at 
her  mast,  and  Captain  Brisco,  seeing  it,  exclaimed 
impatiently : 

"  What  can  they  want  with  us  ?  " 

"  They  want  to  talk,  that's  evident,"  said  Hen 
Lacomb,  who  stood  near  the  commander. 

"But  what  about?" 

"  We'll  soon  know." 


140 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


As  the  Mary  Ellen  lay  almost  motionless  on 
the  sea,  for  she  had  been  brought  up  sharply,  the 
steamer  approached.  It  was  so  calm  that  she 
could  come  quite  close  without  danger  of  a  colli- 
sion. A  man,  evidently  an  officer,  hailed  through 
a  megaphone.  Jack  dared  not  desert  his  place 
as  lookout. 

"What  vessel  is  that?"  demanded  the  officer 
of  the  British  steamer. 

"  The  Mary  Ellen,  from  New  York,"  answered 
Captain  Brisco.  "  Out  on  a  moving  picture 
cruise.    We're  in  a  hurry." 

"  Better  not  be,"  was  the  exasperating  com- 
ment. "  There's  someone  here  who  wants  to  ask 
you  a  few  questions." 

Another  figure  joined  the  speaker,  and  at  the 
sight  of  this  second  officer,  old  Jack  Jepson 
groaned. 

"  I  knew  it !  I  knew  it,"  he  whispered  to  Alice. 
"  That's  the  man  in  charge  of  the  revenue  cutter 
who  arrested  me  years  ago.  See !  He  recognizes 
me!    I  thought  this  would  happen." 

It  was  evident  that  something  out  of  the  ordi- 
nary was  taking  place. 

<c  Mary  Ellen  ahoy !  "  called  the  second  officer. 
"If  you  didn't  used  to  be  the  Halcyon,  I  miss  my 
guess.  And  there's  a  man  aboard  you  I  want! 
There  he  stands !  "  and  he  pointed  an  accusing 
%iger  at  Jack  Jepson. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


THE   STORM 


The  old  sailor  seemed  to  shrink  down  in  his 
clothes  and  become  smaller.  He  cast  an  appeal- 
ing glance  at  Alice  who  stood  near  him. 

"See!"  he  murmured.  "What  did  I  tell 
you?" 

"  It  may  be  all  right  yet,"  she  answered. 
"  Surely  after  these  years  they  can  do  nothing  to 
you,  especially  when  you  were  not  guilty." 

"  Ah,  but  it's  the  escape  from  the  prison  that 
hangs  over  me,"  he  said.  "  They  want  me  more 
for  that  than  on  the  mutiny  charge.  Oh,  what 
shall  I  do?" 

"  Stay  here  and  '  face  the  music/  as  Russ  or 
Paul  would  say,"  suggested  Alice.  "  I'll  speak  to 
my  father,  and  to  Mr.  Pertell.  You  are  an 
American  citizen,  and — " 

But  she  had  no  time  for  further  advice.  Again 
came  the  hail  from  the  steamer. 

"  Stand  by  there,  Mary  Ellen,  or  Halcyon,  as 
your  name  used  to  be,"  was  the  sharp  order. 
141 


142 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


"  I'm  going  to  send  a  boat  aboard  you.  We 
want  that  man ! "  and  once  more  he  pointed  ac- 
cusingly at  Jack. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you're  talking  about," 
blustered  Captain  Brisco.  "  That  man  is  my 
second  mate,  and  you  can't  take  him  from  me 
that  way.  This  isn't  war  time,"  and  he  seemed 
disposed  to  protect  Jack. 

"  Don't  let  them  take  me,  Captain ! "  the  old 
sailor  pleaded.  "  You  know  what  it  means. 
Don't  let  them  take  me  away !  " 

"  I  won't !  "  declared  Captain  Brisco,  and  for 
the  moment  the  heart  of  Alice  warmed  to  him. 
She  fancied  she  had  misjudged  him.  But  as  she 
looked  at  him,  she  saw  a  look  on  his  face  that 
made  her  doubt.  It  was  a  look  that  made  his 
words  seem  insincere.  And  when  the  moving 
picture  girl  saw  the  captain  speaking  in  an  aside 
to  Hen  Lacomb,  her  doubts  were  redoubled. 

"  Stand  by !  "  someone  on  the  steamer  ordered. 
"  We're  sending  a  boat  to  take  the  prisoner." 

"This  is  a  pretty  how-d'-do!"  blustered  Cap- 
tain Brisco.  "  They're  going  to  leave  me  short- 
handed,  and  just  at  a  time  when  I'm  likely  to 
need  every  man  I  can  get,  too,"  and  he  cast  an 
anxious  look  around  the  horizon.  It  had  sud- 
denly become  quite  dark.  A  bank  of  clouds,  slate 
colored,  and  fringed  with  an  ominous  yellow,  had 


THE  STORM  I43 

gathered  in  the  west,  and  there  was  a  moaning  in 
the  air  as  though  a  far-off  wind  were  sending  a 
message  to  those  in  peril  to  beware  of  its  breath. 

The  sea,  too,  had  a  glassy  look.  The  big  waves 
rose  sullenly,  and  sank  back  into  troughs,  with  an 
oily  smooth  motion  as  though  they  resented  being 
thus  confined.  It  was  like  the  action  of  some 
raging  beast  in  leash.  There  was  a  curious  op- 
pressiveness in  the  air,  too,  and  more  than  one 
found  difficulty  in  breathing. 

"  What  is  it?  Oh,  what  is  it?  "  asked  Ruth,  as 
she  came  toward  her  sister.  "  I  feel  as  though 
something  terrible  were  going  to  happen." 

"  Something  has  happened !  "  Alice  exclaimed. 
"  They've  got  poor  old  Jack !  Isn't  it  a  shame, 
when  everything  was  going  so  nicely  ?  " 

"  Got  him !  "  questioned  Ruth.  "  What  do  you 
mean  ?  " 

"  It's  those  Britishers !  They  recognized  this 
ship  as  the  one  on  which  the  mutiny  occurred. 
She's  been  built  over — the  ship  I  mean — but  the 
steamer  knew  her — I  mean  some  officer  did. 
And  they're  going  to  take  Jack  away.  You  know 
he  told  us  how  he  broke  out  of  jail,  after  he  was 
locked  up  on  an  unjust  charge.  Well,  they  want 
him  for  that,  but  he  doesn't  want  him  to  go — at 
least  he  pretends  he  doesn't." 

Alice  paused  for  breath — she  needed  it. 


I44     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Well !  "  exclaimed  Ruth.  "  You  may  under- 
stand what  you  mean,  but  I  don't,  my  dear.  Who 
wants  whom,  and  who  doesn't  want  whom — and 
what?" 

Thereupon  Alice  explained  how  Captain  Brisco 
had  declared  Jack  should  not  be  taken,  and  yet 
how  Alice,  herself,  believed  he  would  give  him  up. 

"  But  what  does  it  all  mean — that  enmity  you 
say  Captain  Brisco  has  against  Jack?"  Ruth 
asked  Alice,  for  Alice  spoke  about  the  time  Jack 
had  fallen  overboard,  and  mentioned  how  the 
sailor  had  said  he  was  tossed  over  the  rail. 

"  I  don't  know  what  it  means,"  the  younger 
girl  replied.  "  It  is  all  queer  and  mysterious,  and 
it's  getting  worse.  But  I  think  there  is  some  se- 
cret between  Captain  Brisco  and  that  Hen  La- 
comb  that  Jack  has  found  out,  and  they're  afraid 
he'll  tell.  That's  why  I  think  they  would  be  glad 
to  see  him  taken  away — no  matter  what  happened 
to  him.  It's  all  very  well  for  Captain  Brisco  to 
say  he  doesn't  want  Jack  to  go,  but  I  believe  he's 
glad  this  happened." 

"  Oh,  Alice!    What  a  thing  to  say!  " 

"  I  don't  care !    I  believe  it !  " 

All  this  while  preparations  had  been  under  way 
aboard  the  steamer  to  lower  a  small  boat,  but 
there  seemed  to  be  some  delay. 

Meanwhile  Jack  Jepson  remained  as  lookout  on 


THE  STORM  145 

the  Mary  Ellen,  though  there  was  no  need  of  him 
there,  for  the  schooner  was  now  merely  drifting, 
with  sails  aback,  and  the  steamer,  too,  was  at  the 
call  of  the  wind  and  currents. 

"  Come  on,  mate !  "  hoarsely  whispered  a  sailor 
to  Jack.  "  Slip  below,  mate,  and  we'll  hide  you. 
If  they  try  to  take  you,  we'll  stand  'em  off.  I 
don't  like  the  Britishers  anyhow.  I  was  shang- 
haied into  one  of  their  lime- juicers  once,  an'  I 
never  forgot  it !    Slip  below !  " 

"  No,  I'll  take  my  medicine !  "  said  Jack  grimly. 
"  Might  as  well  get  it  done  with.  This  thing  has 
been  hangin'  over  my  head  a  number  of  years 
now,  and  I'll  be  glad  to  hear  the  last  of  it.  It's 
a  terrible  thing  for  an  innocent  man." 

"  Perhaps  some  way  may  be  found  for  clearing 
you,"  suggested  Alice.  "  I'll  speak  to  my  father. 
He  knows  some  prominent  lawyers  in  New  York, 
and  they  will  induce  the  government  to  take  up 
your  case.  Go  quietly,  Jack,  and  we'll  do  all  we 
can  for  you." 

"  Oh,  I  shan't  raise  a  row,  Miss,  never  fear. 
No  good'd  come  of  that,  and  it  would  only  make 
trouble.    I'll  go  quietly  enough." 

"Ha!  What  is  going  on?"  asked  Mr.  De- 
Vere,  who  had  been  down  below.  "  Has  any- 
thing happened?  " 

Alice  and  Ruth  tried  to  tell  him  at  once,  the 


I46     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

former  eager  to  enlist  his  sympathies  in  Jack's 
cause.     Mr.  DeVere  promised  readily  enough. 

"  Though  I  can't  hold  out  any  hope  for  you," 
he  said.  "  I  know  nothing  of  law,  but  inter- 
national affairs  are  always  slow." 

"  But  I  ought  to  get  justice  in  the  end,  ought  I 
not?  "  asked  Jack,  respectfully. 

"  You  ought,  my  man,  and  I'll  do  all  I  can  for 
you,"  said  Mr.  DeVere. 

"  Oh,  what  a  pretty  sight ! "  exclaimed  the 
voice  of  Miss  Dixon,  as  she  emerged  from  a  com- 
panionway  with  her  chum,  Miss  Pennington. 
"  Isn't  it  romantic — stopping  to  speak  to  a 
steamer  at  sea?  " 

"  Delightful,"  agreed  Miss  Pennington.  "  I 
wonder  if  the  captain  of  the  steamer  will  ask  us 
to  tea  ?  It's  a  British  vessel,  and  Englishmen  are 
so  fond  of  tea." 

"  Yes,  and  they  are  so  romantic  and  good- 
looking,"  agreed  Miss  Dixon.  "  But  perhaps  this 
is  only  for  moving  pictures." 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  Perhaps  it  is !  "  sighed  her  com- 
panion, and  the  two  of  them,  who  had  been  taking 
surreptitious  glances  in  mirrors,  enclosed  in  the 
flaps  of  their  bags,  ceased  "  primping,"  until  they 
could  be  sure  whether  or  not  there  was  any  ob- 
ject in  it. 

"  What's  it  all  about  ? "  asked  Miss  Dixon 
again. 


THE  STORM  i4y 

"  Oh,  they're  going  to  take  one  of  our  men,  I 
believe,"  said  Pop  Snooks,  the  property  "  angel," 
as  the  ladies  often  called  him." 

"Oh  dear!  What  are  they?  Pirates?" 
gasped  Miss  Pennington. 

"  No,  it's  Jack  Jepson  they're  after.  Some  old 
charge,  I  believe." 

"  Ha !  I  knew  something  would  happen  on  this 
voyage !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Pepper  Sneed.  "  I  felt 
it  in  my  bones  all  along." 

"  Good  thing  you're  not  disappointed,"  mur- 
mured Alice. 

"  Oh  dear !  "  sighed  her  sister.  "  It's  too  bad. 
And  I  liked  Jack  so." 

"  So  did  I,"  returned  Alice.  "  But  they're 
a  long  while  sending  that  boat." 

It  did  seem  so,  for  there  were  no  signs  yet, 
of  one  being  lowered  over  the  side,  though  Cap- 
tain Brisco,  after  the  command  to  lay  to,  had 
ordered  his  accommodation  ladder  lowered  to  re- 
ceive the  visitors. 

Then  came  another  hail  from  the  steamer. 

"  Mary  Ellen  ahoy!  " 

"Aye,  aye!" 

"  We  won't  send  a  boat  right  away.  A  hurri- 
cane is  sweeping  up  fast,  and  this  is  a  bad  locality 
in  which  to  be  caught,"  called  one  of  the  steamer's 
officers  through  a  megaphone.     "  We'll  have  to 


I48     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

get  out  of  here,  and  so  had  you  better.  There's 
no  sea-room  here.  We'll  pick  you  up  later,  and 
don't  forget  you  are  in  English  waters,  and  sub- 
ject to  our  orders.  We're  going  to  have  that 
man!" 

"  Well,  if  you  put  it  that  way,  of  course  I'll 
have  to  give  in,"  said  Captain  Brisco.  "  I'll  wait 
for  you  after  the  blow." 

"  Well,  that's  a  respite,  anyhow,  but  not  a  very 
pleasant  one,"  said  Alice. 

"  No,"  agreed  Jack  Jepson,  who  breathed 
easier  now.  "  We're  in  for  a  bad  storm,  I  reckon. 
We'll  have  to  make  everything  snug." 

"  Attention ! "  once  more  came  the  hail  from 
the  steamer,  and  when  Captain  Brisco  answered, 
he  was  ordered  to  follow  a  certain  course  by 
compass,  as  being  safest. 

"  Then  I  can  pick  you  up !  "  the  steamer  cap- 
tain cried  as  the  propellers  began  to  churn  the 
water.  The  British  vessel  swept  away,  leaving 
Jack  Jepson  still  on  the  schooner,  but  under 
threat  of  arrest. 

Then  the  forerunner  of  the  storm  came,  filling 
the  sails  of  the  Mary  Ellen,  and  heeling  her  over 
until  the  lee  scuppers  were  awash. 

"Make  everything  snug!"  cried  Captain 
Brisco.    "  It's  coming  on  to  blow  great  guns !  " 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


GRINDING  AWAY 


Events  aboard  the  Mary  Ellen  did  not  tran- 
spire at  all  slowly.  In  a  comparatively  short 
space  of  time  she  had  been  converted  from  an  old 
hulk  into  a  good  sailing  vessel,  she  had  put  to  sea 
with  a  party  of  moving  picture  workers,  includ- 
ing a  sailor  accused  of  mutiny,  who  had  broken 
jail.  She  had  been  stopped  by  the  English  ship, 
and  now  the  old  schooner  was  starting  to  scud 
before  the  blast  of  a  hurricane.  For  the  time 
being  the  accusation  against  Jack  Jepson  was 
forgotten. 

"  Lively  now,  everyone ! "  cried  Captain 
Brisco.  "  When  a  storm  breaks  down  here,  it 
isn't  any  child's  play.  Double  reefs  in  all  sails, 
and  two  men  at  the  wheel.  Lash  everything 
fast,  pass  life-lines,  and  passengers  keep  below." 

"  Oh,  but  I  want  to  see  the  storm !  "  exclaimed 
Alice. 

"  Oh,    how    can    you ! "    remonstrated    Ruth. 
"  It  is  going  to  be — awful !  " 
149 


!5o     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

And  indeed,  if  the  evidence  of  sky  and  sea, 
and  the  moaning  of  the  wind,  were  any  indica- 
tion, a  great  storm  was  in  prospect. 

The  billows  that  had  been  rolling  with  oily 
smoothness  now  began  to  show  little  feathery 
crests  of  foam,  and  they  were  following  one  an- 
other with  greater  quickness,  as  if  impatient  to  be 
at  their  shattering  work. 

The  wind  seemed  most  ominous  of  all.  It  was 
as  though  it  came  from  afar  off,  down  behind 
the  horizon  line  that  showed  black,  with  a  fringe 
of  angry  yellow  in  the  west.  A  low,  mumbling, 
roaring,  moaning  wind  it  was,  that  whistled 
mournfully  through  the  rigging  of  the  schooner, 
and  howled  down  the  companionways. 

"Oh  dear!"  sighed  Ruth,  as  she  slipped  her 
arm  into  that  of  her  sister,  and  started  for  their 
cabin.     "  Come  on,  Alice.     I'm  afraid !  " 

"  Nonsense !  What  of  ?  Nothing  has  hap- 
pened— yet." 

"  No,  but  there  is  going  to  be  a  terrible  storm !  " 

"  And  I  just  love  a  blow.  I've  never  seen  one 
at  sea,  and,  as  this  may  be  the  only  chance  I'll  get, 
I'm  not  going  to  miss  it.  Stay  up  with  me, 
Ruth.  Don't  be  like  those  sillies,  and  go  below," 
and  she  motioned  to  Miss  Penningtion  and  Miss 
Dixon  who  were  scurrying  for  cover,  as  the  wind 
and  the  sea  increased. 


GRINDING  AWAY 


151 


"  Well,  I'll  stay  up  a  little  while,"  agreed  Ruth. 
"  But  I — I'm  afraid  all  the  same." 

"  Nonsense !  "  cried  Alice  gaily.  "  We  have 
a  good  ship  under  us.  It  went  through  a  mutiny, 
and  I  guess  it  can  weather  a  storm." 

"  That's  just  the  point — can  it  ?  "  asked  Ruth 
in  a  low  voice. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  Alice  asked  in  a  curi- 
ously strained  voice. 

"  I  mean  that  this  is  an  old  vessel, '  made  over,' 
as  we  would  say  of  a  dress,  Alice,  it  can't  be  as 
good  and  strong  as  a  new  one  would  be,  and  in  a 
storm " 

"  Oh,  don't  be  nervous ! "  broke  in  Alice. 
"  Here,  I'll  ask  Mr.  Blake,"  and  she  stopped  the 
first  mate  who  was  hurrying  to  and  fro  direct- 
ing the  men  at  their  work  of  making  everything 
snug  below  and  aloft. 

"  Isn't  she  safe,  Mr.  Blake  ?  "  Alice  appealed. 

"Who?"  the  first  mate  wanted  to  know. 

"  This  ship." 

"  I— I  think  so,"  he  said.  "  Yes,  surely,"  he 
added  quickly.  "  We  will  ride  out  the  storm, 
never  fear.  It  hasn't  gotten  here  yet,  and  we 
may  only  get  the  outer  edge  of  it.  But  you  must 
excuse  me  now,"  and  he  hastened  along  the  deck. 

"There!"  cried  Alice.  "What  did  I  tell 
you  ?  "  she  asked  triumphantly. 


152 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


"  Well,  I'll  stay  here  with  you  a  little  while" 
Ruth  agreed.    "  Then  I'm  going  below  and " 

"  Bundle  up  all  your  possessions  and  sit  on  a 
life  preserver,"  broke  in  Alice  with  a  laugh. 
"Oh,  Ruth,  you  are — hopeless!" 

"  Yes,  but  look  at  that !  "  and  the  older  sister 
pointed  to  the  west.  There  had  been  a  rapid 
change.  There  was  more  yellow  in  the  clouds 
now  and  less  blackness,  though  there  was  enough 
of  that  ominous  color  too.  "  Doesn't  it  scare  you, 
Alice?" 

"  Not  so  much,  no.  Of  course  I've  never  been 
in  a  bad  storm  down  here,  and  I  don't  know  what 
they  do  to  one.  But  I  think  we'll  weather  it,  as 
the  sailors  say.  But  I  wonder  what  Mr.  Pertell 
is  doing?  " 

She  motioned  to  the  manager  who  was  seen 
amidships,  talking  to  Russ,  the  chief  camera 
operator.  They  were  near  the  big  motorboat 
Aja.v,  which  still  rested  in  the  cradle  on  deck. 

Mr.  DeVere  was  also  in  conversation  with  the 
manager  and  his  chief  helper. 

"  Let's  go  over  and  see  what  it  is,"  suggested 
Alice.     "  Maybe  they  are   frightened  too." 

"  I  wouldn't  blame  them,"  murmured  Ruth, 
with  a  nervous  glance  over  her  shoulder  at  the 
oncoming  storm. 

The   two   girls   joined   their    father   and   the 


GRINDING  AWAY  jg-j 

others.  Pop  Snooks,  the  property  man,  who 
could  make  almost  anything  from  a  brick  wall 
to  a  king's  palace,  on  short  notice,  was  called 
into  the  consultation. 

"  I'm  sure  they're  going  to  do  something ! " 
Alice  exclaimed,  as  she  noticed  Mr.  Pertell  beckon 
Captain  Brisco  to  him.  And  when  the  girls 
reached  the  group  they  learned  what  was  afoot. 

"  Why  yes,  you'd  have  time  for  some  pictures 
before  the  storm  gets  here,"  Captain  Brisco  was 
saying.  "  It's  evidently  going  to  be  slow  in 
breaking." 

"  And  it  wouldn't  be  too  rough  for  the  motor- 
boat?"  asked  Mr.  Pertell. 

"  Oh,  no.  She's  built  dory  fashion,  and  bigger 
waves  than  these  wouldn't  swamp  her.  It's  a 
question  though,  if  your  man  is  game." 

"  Oh,  don't  worry  about  me!  "  exclaimed  Russ 
Dalwood.  "  I'll  make  pictures  as  long  as  the 
light  will  hold  good.  How  is  the  boat?  Is  she 
all  ready  to  start?  " 

"  All  ready  to  put  into  the  water,"  the  captain 
assured  him.  "  She  has  been  that  way  since  we 
reached  this  locality.  What  do  you  say?"  he 
asked  the  manager.    "  Shall  we  lower  away?  " 

"  I  think  so,"  was  the  answer  from  Mr.  Pertell. 
"  I  want  to  get  some  views  of  the  schooner  sail- 
ing off  before  the  storm.     It  will  be  a  sort  of 


154 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


introduction  to  the  shipwreck  that  is  to  come 
later." 

"All  right!"  exclaimed  Russ.  "That  suits 
me.  I'll  get  the  camera  and  films  ready.  I'll  need 
a  helper." 

"  Oh,  of  course,"  agreed  the  manager.  "  You 
can't  manage  the  boat  and  the  engine  and  work 
the  camera  too.  Grinding  away  at  the  film  will 
keep  you  busy,  especially  as  the  water's  a  bit 
rough." 

"  A  bit  rough !  "  exclaimed  Russ  with  a  smile. 
"  I  like  the  way  you  say  it.  But  the  rougher  it 
is  the  better  effect  we'll  get  on  the  film.  I'll  be 
ready  when  you  are,  Captain  Brisco." 

"  All  right,  I'll  have  the  boat  over  at  once,"  and 
the  commander  gave  the  necessary  orders  for 
lowering  the  Ajax  over  the  side.  This  had  been 
provided  for  when  she  was  cradled,  so  there  was 
little  delay  at  this  task. 

"  Are  we  to  do  any  '  stunts,'  while  Russ  is 
taking  pictures?"  asked  Alice  of  the  manager. 

"  No,  you  are  just  to  stand  around  on  deck, 
and  look  a  bit  anxious.  You  are  supposed  to  be 
an  old-time  passenger  packet  you  know,  on  a 
long  voyage,  and  you  are  running  away  from 
the  storm.  We  don't  want  many  feet  of  this 
film — just  enough  to  indicate  what  is  to  come. 
The  real  shipwreck — that  is  the  imitation  of  it 


GRINDING  AWAY  i$$ 

—will  come  later,  when  this  storm  blows  over. 
Get  on  the  side  where  the  motorboat  will  be," 
the  manager  directed,  "  and  line  up  along  the 
rail." 

While  Russ  was  "  loading  "  his  camera,  Ruth 
and  Alice  watched  the  sailors  getting  the  Ajax 
ready.  The  engine  had  been  tested,  and  seemed 
to  work  well.  Jack  Jepson  came  along  with  a 
small  keg  of  water,  and  a  bundle  done  up  in  a 
piece  of  sail  cloth. 

"What's  that  for?"  asked  Alice. 

"  Provisions  and  water,"  answered  the  old 
sailor. 

"  But  they're  only  going  to  be  away  a  few 
minutes,"  the  girl  objected.  "  They  won't  want 
anything  to  eat  or  drink." 

"  It's  a  rule  of  th'  sea,"  said  old  Jack,  "  never 
to  put  a  boat  over  the  side  without  provisioning 
and  watering  her.  You  never  can  tell  what  will 
happen  on  th'  ocean.  I've  seen  boats  put  out 
just  for  a  little  row  around,  and  a  fog  would 
come  up,  and  they'd  be  away  nearly  a  week. 
And  when  they  didn't  have  any  water  or  food 
aboard — well,  Miss,  them's  not  nice  things  to 
talk  about  to  ladies,"  he  said  simply.  And  Alice 
understood. 

The  storm  seemed  to  be  holding  off,  at  least  for 
a  time.      Far  away  the  dark  mass  of  the  British 


!g6     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

steamer  conld  be  seen.  The  Ajax  was  soon 
ready,  and  lowered  to  the  heaving  water. 

"  Mr.  Sneed,  you  get  in  and  help  Russ,"  ordered 
Mr.  Pertell.  "  You  know  something  about  motor- 
boats,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  A  little,  yes.  But  I — er — I  don't  like  to  get  in 
one  when  a  storm  is  coming  up." 

"  Nonsense ! "  the  manager  ejaculated. 
"  There's  no  danger !  You  are  going  only  a  short 
distance  away  from  the  schooner,  to  get  some 
views  of  her  as  she  rides  the  waves.  It  will  make 
a  good  film,  the  coming  storm,  and  the  waters  ris- 
ing and  falling.  Get  aboard,  Mr.  Sneed,  and  do 
whatever  Russ  wants  you  to.  He'll  be  busy  with 
the  camera  so  you  will  have  to  steer,  and  run  the 
engine.  The  last  won't  bother  you  though,  for 
it  has  a  self-starter  on  and  a  gear  clutch.  You'll 
be  in  no  danger." 

Mr.  Sneed  did  not  seem  anxious  to  go.  How- 
ever, orders  were  orders,  and  members  of  the 
company,  even  Mr.  Wellington  Bunn,  thought 
twice  before  refusing  Mr.  Pertell.  So,  when  Russ 
came  up  with  his  cameras,  bringing  two  in  case 
of  emergency,  Mr.  Sneed  was  already  in  the  boat, 
which  was  rising  and  falling  at  the  foot  of  the  ac- 
commodation ladder  over  the  side  of  the  schooner. 

"  All  aboard !  "  sang  out  Russ  gaily,  as  he  pre- 
pared to  descend,  his  cameras  having  been  lowered 
to  Mr.  Sneed  by  a  rope.     "  Look  pleasant,  girls, 


GRINDING  AWAY  i^y 

you're  going  to  have  your  pictures  took,"  and  he 
laughed. 

There  was  an  ominous  hush  in  the  air  now. 
The  moaning  of  the  wind  seemed  to  have  died 
down,  at  least  for  the  time  being,  but  the  waves 
were  higher,  the  swells  were  long,  and  did  not 
break  much. 

It  was  lighter,  also,  though  the  light  was  of 
a  sickly  yellowish  cast.  However,  it  would  serve 
for  a  few  pictures. 

"Let  her  go,  Pepper!"  called  Russ  to  his 
actor-helper  and  the  motor  whirred,  as  the  Ajax 
started  away  from  the  side  of  the  schooner.  Russ, 
setting  his  camera  up  on  the  platform  made  for 
it  in  the  bow,  began  grinding  at  the  crank,  taking 
many  views  of  the  pitching,  tossing  schooner  as 
it  rose  and  fell  on  the  bosom  of  the  heaving 
ocean. 

"  I  don't  like  this !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Sneed, 
when  a  dash  of  spray  wet  him,  as  he  sat  at  the 
wheel.  "  I  wish  I  hadn't  come.  I'm  sure  some- 
thing will  happen ! " 

"  Something  sure  will,  if  you  don't  keep  her 
headed  up  into  the  seas,"  declared  Russ.  "  We'll 
be  swamped,  that's  what  will  happen.  Steady 
now.  I'm  getting  some  good  ones,"  and  he 
worked  away  at  the  camera,  while  the  schooner 
sailed  farther  and  farther  away.  Russ  wanted  to 
give  the  idea  of  distance  on  the  film. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


DISABLED 


"  How  much  longer  you  going  to  be  ?  "  asked 
Mr.  Pepper  Sneed,  as  he  saw  Russ  change  slightly 
the  position  of  the  camera. 

"  Oh,  not  much  longer  now/'  was  the  answer. 
"  I  have  about  all  they'll  want,  I  guess.  This  is 
only  a  sort  of  '  cut-in '  effect,  anyhow — a  pre- 
liminary to  the  grand  performance  that  is  to 
come  later.  Poor  old  Mary  Ellen,  we'll  soon  see 
the  last  of  her,  I  expect." 

"  Burr-r-r ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Sneed  as  he 
shifted  his  helm.  "  Don't  talk  that  way.  It 
sounds  rather  prophetic,  you  know,  seeing  the 
last  of  the  ship,  and  all  that,  you  know." 

"  Well,  I  meant  that  they're  going  to  sink  her. 
You  knew  that,  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  worse  luck !  I'm  to  be  one  of  the 
last  to  jump  over  the  side,  I  believe.  I  don't 
like  it." 

"  Well,  it  won't  be  for  long,"  Russ  said.  "  It 
will  be  all  over  in  a  few  minutes — I  mean  the 
158 


DISABLED  i$g 

shipwreck  proper,  though  there'll  be  a  lot  of 
rescue  scenes,  and  then  the  castaways  on  an 
island,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  Put  me  over 
a  little  more  to  the  left,  Pepper.  I  can  get  a  fine 
view  that  way,  with  the  light  shining  on  the  pas- 
sengers at  the  rail." 

He  clicked  away  at  the  camera  crank,  and  then 
exclaimed : 

"  No,  no !  I  said  to  the  left.  You're  putting 
me  to  the  right." 

"  Oh,  so  I  am.  I  was  watching  that  storm.  I 
don't  like  the  looks  of  things,  Russ.  I  believe 
we're  going  to  be  in  for  it  sooner  than  they 
thought" 

"  It  does  look  as  though  it  were  going  to  burst," 
Russ  agreed,  as  he  looked  up  from  the  "  finder  " 
of  his  machine  long  enough  to  take  a  glimpse  at 
the  weather.  "  Mr.  Pertell  said  he'd  signal  us 
with  a  flag  when  he  thought  we  had  enough,  but 
I  don't  see  anything  of  a  signal,  do  you?  " 

"  No,"  answered  the  gloomy  actor,  who  had 
not  been  needed  in  the  present  scenes.  "  And  I 
wish  I  could  see  it.  It's  getting  too  rough  out 
here  for  me,  even  if  we  have  a  good  boat,"  and 
he  adjusted  the  gasoline  feed  to  give  a  little  more 
power  to  the  engine. 

"  Well,  it's  getting  almost  too  dark  to  get  any 
more  pictures,  anyhow,"  Russ  declared.     "  "VW 


j(5o     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

sure  are  in  for  a  blow.  It's  coming  up  fast  too. 
We'd  better  get  back  to  the  ship  without  waiting 
for  a  signal.  They  may  have  hoisted  one,  that  we 
didn't  see." 

"  That's  it,  I  think !  "  cried  the  other.  "  Say, 
where  is  the  schooner,  anyhow  ?  " 

Russ,  who  was  taking  the  tripod  from  his 
camera  looked  up  quickly. 

"Why,  can't  you  see  her?"  asked  the  young 
operator. 

"  No,  and  I  don't  believe  you  can,  either,  nor 
can  your  camera  find  her.     She's  disappeared !  " 

"  Disappeared  ?  Nonsense !  "  Russ  cried.  "  It's 
just  that  the  sea  mist  has  come  up  and  hidden 
her.  It  will  blow  away  in  a  moment.  Say,  but 
it  is  getting  rough !  " 

Well  might  he  say  that,  for  he  could  hardly 
keep  his  footing  on  the  platform  where  he  had 
stood  to  make  the  views.  He  came  down  into 
the  half -covered  cabin  which  formed  the  forward 
part  of  the  Ajax. 

"  Well,  where  is  the  schooner,  if  you  can  see 
her?"  growled  Pepper  Sneed.  "Steer  for  her 
if  you  can  sight  her — I  can't !  " 

He  seemed  morose  and  angry.  Perhaps  it 
was  just  fear.  Russ  did  not  stop  to  determine 
that  point.  The  operator  took  the  steering  wheel, 
first  standing  up  to  get  an  idea  of  his  course. 


DISABLED  l6l 

"  Say,  it  is  getting  dark !  "  he  cried.  "  Well, 
we'll  have  to  go  it  blind.  We'll  pick  up  the 
schooner  in  a  minute  or  two,  I  expect.  She  ought 
to  be  right  over  there,"  and  he  pointed. 

"Where?"  asked  Mr.  Sneed. 

"  There,"  said  Russ  again. 

"Humph!  You're  away  off!"  declared  his 
companion.  "  The  last  I  saw  her,  and  I  was 
headed  right  for  her,  she  was  over  there,"  and 
he  indicated  a  direction  differing  from  that  Russ 
had  shown  by  at  least  forty-five  degrees. 

"  I  wish  they'd  show  a  light!  "  Russ  murmured 
as  he  tried  to  peer  through  the  mist  and  the 
gathering  darkness.  "  Why  don't  they  show  a 
light  ?    We  could  see  that !  " 

"  Maybe  they  don't  know  we're  lost,"  suggested 
Pepper  Sneed. 

"  Lost !  "  cried  Russ.  "  We're  not  lost !  We'll 
be  up  to  them  in  a  minute  or  so,  but  I  do  wish 
they'd  show  a  light." 

The  motorboat  Ajax  was  chugging  over  the 
heaving  water  at  good  speed,  but  as  far  as  the 
eyes  of  either  of  her  occupants  could  see,  she 
might  have  been  driving  straight  into  the  utter 
desolation  of  a  vast  ocean,  for  not  an  object  was 
in  sight. 

The  wind  had  again  taken  up  that  nerve-rack- 
ing moaning  and  groaning  sound,  as  of  an  un* 


jfe    the  moving  picture  girls  at  sea 

seen  giant  in  distress,  and  the  spray  from  the 
crests  of  the  waves  blew  in  the  faces  of  the  two 
young  men,  as  they  crouched  down  behind  the 
shelter  of  the  half-cabin. 

It  seemed  as  though  the  storm  had  begun, 
had  halted  in  its  purpose,  or  had  gone  off  mo- 
mentarily in  some  other  direction,  and  was  now 
headed  back,  to  sweep  destruction  down  on  those 
aboard  the  Mary  Ellen,  and  the  two  in  the  motor- 
boat. 

But  where  was  the  Mary  Ellen? 

That  was  a  question  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed  asked 
of  themselves  over  and  over  again  as  they  drove 
into  the  very  teeth  of  the  storm.  They  had  to 
head  into  it,  as  in  the  small  boat  no  other  course 
would  have  been  safe.  Fortunately  the  Ajax 
was  built  dory-fashion,  with  high  bow  and  stern, 
after  the  pattern  of  the  skiffs  in  which  the 
fishermen  of  the  New  Foundland  banks  go  out 
in  heavy  weather. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? "  asked  Mr. 
Sneed,  as  Russ  increased  the  speed  of  the  engine, 
so  that  the  small  craft  fairly  tore  up  the  inclined 
hills  of  green  waters,  which  the  waves  repre- 
sented, and  slid  down  them  with  sickening  speed 
on  the  other  slope. 

"  I'm  going  to  keep  on  until  I  find  her — find 
the  schooner,"   Russ  said,  grimly.     "  That's  all 


DISABLED  163 

we  can  do.  But  I  can't  understand  why  they 
don't  show  a  light." 

"  Maybe  they're  having  troubles  of  their 
own,"  suggested  the  actor. 

"  Well,  they  could  shout,  so  as  to  let  us  know 
where  to  steer,"  Russ  went  on,  rather  provoked. 

"  We  could  do  that  ourselves,"  Pepper  Sneed 
said. 

"Do  what?"  asked  Russ,  hardly  conscious  of 
what  he  was  saying,  for  just  then  a  heavy  wave 
threatened  to  swamp  the  dory,  and  it  required 
skillful  handling  to  keep  her  from  being  swamped. 

"  We  could  yell,"  suggested  Mr.  Sneed. 
"  Come  on,  give  'em  a  call !  " 

Russ  agreed  to  this,  and,  standing  up,  so  their 
voices  would  carry  better,  and  bracing  them- 
selves against  the  tumbling,  swaying  motion  of 
the  craft,  they  sent  out  a  cry  for  aid — and  yet 
not  so  much  a  cry  for  aid,  as  they  were  not  yet  in 
distress,  but  a  cry  for  direction. 

"  If  I  could  only  see  where  to  steer,"  Russ 
exclaimed,  when  they  had  paused  in  their  yell- 
ing, well-nigh  exhausted,  "  it  wouldn't  be  so 
bad !  But  I  can't  see  a  thing.  It's  getting  darker 
every  minute.    I  never  saw  such  a  funny  storm." 

"  It's  coming  up  all  right,"  declared  the  actor. 
"  Going  to  blow  great  guns  soon." 

"  It's  blowing  them  now,"  said  Russ,  grimly, 


!64     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

as  he  clung  to  the  wheel.  "  I  can  hardly  keep  her 
on  the  course." 

"  What's  the  use  of  steering  a  course  when 
you  don't  know  whether  it's  right  or  not?" 
asked  the  actor. 

"  Well,  I'm  not  going  to  give  up,"  Russ  said, 
grimly.  "  I  think  I'm  headed  for  the  schooner, 
though  I  ought  to  have  fetched  her  sooner  than 
this,  at  the  speed  we're  going." 

"  Perhaps  she's  blowing  away  from  us,"  sug- 
gested Mr.  Sneed. 

"That's  it!"  Russ  cried.  "Why  didn't  I 
think  of  that  before  ?  She's  running  away  from 
us.  She  can't  help  it,  though,  for  she  must  scud 
before  this  storm.  We've  got  to  increase  our 
speed  to  catch  up  to  her.  The  wind  and  our 
engine  ought  to  be  more  than  a  match  for  her 
sails  alone.    I'll  put  on  more  speed." 

The  wind  was  now  a  howling  gale. 

Suddenly,  as  they  drove  on,  the  motor  seemed 
to  increase  its  speed. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Sneed.  "  I  thought 
you  had  her  running  at  her  limit." 

"  So  did  I,"  Russ  answered,  bending  over  the 
machinery.  Then  he  cried:  "She's  racing! 
We've  lost  our  propeller !  We're  disabled  in  this 
storm ' " 


CHAPTER  XX 


IN   THE  VORTEX 


"  Haven't  we  looked  distressed  long  enough?  " 

"  I'm  going  below.  I  can't  bear  to  watch 
that  storm !  " 

The  speakers  were  Alice  and  Ruth  DeVere  re- 
spectively, and  they  were  leaning  over  the  rail 
of  the  Mary  Ellen,  peering  off  into  the  swirl 
of  driving  mists,  and  across  the  heaving  waters 
toward  where  the  motorboat  had  been  last  seen. 

"  Yes,  I  think  Russ  has  enough  pictures,"  Mr. 
Pertell  said  in  answer  to  the  remark  of  Alice.  "  I 
think  you  all  looked  sufficiently  distressful.  If 
the  scenes  of  the  shipwreck  itself  go  as  well  as 
the  first  part  of  the  drama  has  gone,  we'll  have 
a  fine  film." 

"  Then  may  I  go  below  ?  "  asked  Ruth.  "  I 
don't  like  the  looks  of  the  weather." 

"  It  does  seem  as  though  we'd  get  the  storm 
after  all,"  her  father  remarked. 

"  Go  below,  by  all  means,"  assented  the  man- 
ager. "  We  have  done  enough  for  today,  and 
I'll  signal  Russ  to  come  in,  if  he  hasn't  alreadv 
165 


j66  the  moving  picture  girls  at  sea 

started  to  do  so.  My,  but  this  wind  is  blowing 
a  regular  gale !  " 

Others  than  Ruth  found  it  uncomfortable  on 
deck,  and  there  was  a  general  movement  toward 
the  cabins  which  had  been  fitted  up  with  con- 
siderable comfort,  even  if  the  craft  was  an  old 
one. 

But  just  then,  when  there  was  a  partial  calm 
before  another  burst  of  fury  on  the  part  of  the 
storm,  something  occurred  that  threw  the  ship  into 
a  flurry  of  excitement  for  a  time.  The  sailors 
were  making  some  changes  in  the  craft's  canvas, 
when  suddenly  the  throat  and  peak  halyards 
of  the  mainsail  either  parted,  or,  coming  loose 
from  the  cleats,  came  down  on  the  run.  The 
effect  was  to  lower  the  sail  so  quickly,  and  in 
such  a  fashion,  with  the  wind  blowing  hard 
against  it,  that  there  was  a  crash,  a  banging  and 
booming  of  the  canvas,  and  the  boom  and  gaff. 
The  first  mate,  who  was  standing  near  the  mast, 
was  knocked  down,  narrowly  escaping  going 
overboard. 

"  Oh,  what  has  happened  ?  "  cried  Ruth. 

"  Be  still !  "  commanded  Alice,  clutching  her 
sister  by  the  arm.  "  Yelling  isn't  going  to  do  any 
good.    We're  not  hurt." 

They  were  standing  near  a  companionway, 
well  out  of  reach  of  the  falling  sail. 


IN  THE   VORTEX  jfy 

"  Oh,  we're  sinking !  We're  sinking ! " 
screamed  Miss  Dixon. 

"  And  the  sharks !  The  terrible  sharks  in  the 
water!"  hysterically  added  her  friend. 

The  other  ladies  of  the  party  were  very  much 
frightened,  naturally,  not  only  by  the  accident  to 
the  sail,  but  by  the  screams  of  the  two  former 
vaudeville   actresses. 

"  Lively  now,  men !  "  called  Jack  Jepson,  who 
happened  to  be  nearest  the  confusion  of  tangled 
ropes  and  sail.  "  Get  him  below.  He  doesn't 
seem  to  be  much  hurt." 

He  pointed  to  the  motionless  body  of  the  first 
mate.  A  quick  examination  showed  that  the  man 
was  badly  stunned,  but  that  seemed  to  be  the  ex- 
tent of  his  injuries,  as  far  as  could  be  told. 

"  Up  with  her  now !  Up  with  her !  "  the  second 
mate  cried,  as  he  gave  orders  for  hoisting  the  sail 
again,  for  the  schooner  was  not  under  proper 
control  with  the  main  canvas  down,  and  a  storm 
coming  up  rapidly.  The  sail  had  been  reefed,  so 
the  gaff  had  not  fallen  as  far  as  otherwise  would 
have  been  the  case. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  shouted  Captain  Brisco 
who  came  up  from  his  cabin  with  Hen  Lacomb. 
The  two  were  seldom  apart  of  late.  A  glance 
served  to  tell  the  commander  what  had  happened. 
He  saw  that  Jack  Jepson  had  matters  well  in 


!68     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

hand,  and  though  Alice  guessed  that-  Captain 
Brisco  had  no  love  for  his  second  mate,  the  com- 
mander knew  seamanship  when  he  saw  it. 

"Lively  now!"  he  cried.  "That's  the  idea! 
We'll  run  before  the  gale  now." 

"  But  the  motorboat !  "  cried  Ruth,  who  had 
conquered  her  desire  to  flee  to  the  cabin,  and  hide 
her  eyes  and  ears  from  such  nerve-racking  sights 
and  sounds.  "  Where  is  the  Ajax — and  Mr. 
Sneed — and — Russ?"  she  faltered. 

"  They'll  probably  be  coming  in  now,"  the  cap- 
tain said,  but  he  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  look 
around  and  see.  "  We  can't  wait  for  them  in  this 
wind,"  he  went  on. 

"  But  we  must  wait  for  him !  "  Ruth  cried,  get- 
ting excited.  "  We  can't  go  off  and  leave  them  in 
that  motorboat,  on  the  ocean,  in  a  storm!  We 
must  wait !  "  She  started  toward  Captain  Brisco, 
with  her  hands  held  out  appealingly. 

Alice  was  wildly  looking  around  for  a  sight  of 
the  smaller  craft.  She  had  seen  it  just  before  the 
sail  fell,  but  now  there  was  nothing  about  the 
schooner  but  a  bare  waste  of  waters. 

She  knew  enough  about  the  technical  side  of 
moving  pictures  to  realize  that  for  some  time,  it 
had  been  too  dark  to  take  any  film.  Russ  must 
have  known  that,  too,  and  would  have  started 
back  for  the  schooner.  But  if  he  had,  where  was 
he  now  ? 


IN  THE  VORTEX  jfig 

Alice  asked  herself  that  question  as  she  looked 
around. 

"  You  must  wait  for  him!  "  cried  Ruth. 

"  Who  ?  What's  this  ?  "  demanded  Mr.  Pertell, 
for  he  had  been  hurrying  to  and  fro,  making  sure 
none  of  the  members  of  his  company  had  been  in- 
jured in  the  slight  accident. 

"  Russ  hasn't  come  back,"  volunteered  Alice, 
who  almost  always  spoke  ahead  of  her  sister. 

"  He's  out  there ! "  Ruth  found  voice  to  say, 
"  and  Captain  Brisco  isn't  going  to  wait  for  him." 

"  You  can't  hold  a  ship  still  on  the  ocean,  and 
a  storm  coming  up!"  the  commander  cried,  as 
though  to  justify  himself.  "  We've  got  to  run 
for  it.    It  would  be  madness  now  to  lay  to." 

"  But  we  can't  desert  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed ! " 
cried  the  manager.  "  I  thought  he  was  coming 
in.  What  shall  we  do  ?  We  must  do  something ! 
I  shouldn't  have  asked  him  to  risk  it !  " 

The  schooner  was  rapidly  forging  ahead,  even 
under  reefed  sails,  so  powerful  was  the  wind. 

"  We  could  work  around,"  said  Jack  Jepson, 
who  had  come  up  on  deck  after  seeing  the  first 
mate  comfortably  bestowed  in  his  berth.  "  We 
could  work  around  and " 

"Who's  in  charge  of  this  ship;  you  or  me?" 
snapped  Captain  Brisco. 

"  You  are,  of  course,"  was  the  quiet  answer. 


l70     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Well  then,  have  the  goodness  to  keep  still  and 
let  me  manage  matters.  I'm  giving  orders — not 
you!" 

Poor  Jack  slunk  back,  smarting  under  the  un- 
deserved rebuke. 

"  I  don't  care  who  is  in  command !  "  cried  Mr. 
Pertell.  "  This  is  my  ship  and  you're  under  my 
orders,  Captain  Brisco.  I  order  you  to  pick  up 
that  motorboat!  " 

"  And  I  tell  you  we  can't  do  it !  They've  got  to 
come  to  us,  we  can't  go  to  them.  They're  not  de- 
pendent on  the  wind  as  we  are.  They  can  travel 
any  direction  they  like,  and  they'll  have  to  head 
for  us." 

"  But  we  must  make  some  effort  to  find  them !  " 
cried  the  manager.  "  It  would  be  wicked — crim- 
inal not  to." 

"Look  here!"  cried  Captain  Brisco.  "You 
are  the  owner  of  this  schooner,  it  is  true,  and  as 
such  you  are  my  superior,  but  the  law  gives  me 
supreme  command  of  this  craft  at  sea,  unless  I'm 
dead,  or  otherwise  deposed.  And  I  tell  you  I 
won't  risk  all  these  lives  by  trying  to  beat  back  in 
the  teeth  of  this  wind,  to  pick  up  a  motorboat.  It 
would  be  worse  than  criminal — worse  than  wicked 
to  do  it.    It  would  endanger  all  on  board !  " 

There  was  some  logic  in  that.  Even  Mr. 
Pertell,  exercised  as  he  was  by  the  threatened 
danger  to  Russ,  could  appreciate  that. 


/AT  THE  VORTEX 


171 


"  But  we  must  do  something,"  the  manager  re- 
peated. 

"  I'm  doing  all  I  can,"  Captain  Brisco  replied. 
"  I'll  shorten  sail  down  to  the  minimum ;  that  will 
keep  us  before  the  wind,  and  out  of  the  trough  of 
the  sea!  More  I  can't  do.  We  must  depend  on 
them  to  pick  us  up.  They  ought  to  be  able  to  do 
it.    You  told  me  Dal  wood  could  manage  a  boat." 

"So  he  can — but — " 

There  was  ominous  meaning  in  the  broken-off 
sentence. 

"  Well,  we'll  do  the  best  we  can,"  concluded 
Captain  Brisco.  "  They  will  have  to  take  chances, 
as  we're  doing." 

He  went  forward  to  give  some  orders. 

Those  aboard  the  schooner  peered  anxiously 
over  the  storm  swept  waters  for  a  sight  of 
the  motor  craft,  but  they  saw  nothing.  They 
shouted  and  called,  but  only  the  wind  howled  back 
at  them. 

Then,  with  a  suddenness  that  was  appalling, 
they  seemed  to  be  flung  into  the  midst  of  a  hurri- 
cane. The  wind  lashed  the  sea  to  fury,  and  the 
Mary  Ellen  spun  around  like  some  gigantic  top. 

"  We're  in  the  vortex !  "  cried  Jack  Jepson. 
"  We're  in  the  vortex  of  a  cyclone !  All  hands 
look  to  themselves !  " 


CHAPTER  XXI 


WRECKED 


Confusion  on  board  a  ship  in  a  storm  may  be 
real  confusion  and  riot,  or  it  may  only  seem  so  to 
those  not  usd  to  the  sea.  Often  what  is  a  hope- 
lessly tangled  mass  of  sails,  ropes,  spars  and  gears 
to  the  landsman,  is  as  clear  to  a  sailor  as  a  skein 
of  yarn  is  to  an  experienced  knitter,  who  can  ply 
her  needles  in  the  dark. 

It  was  so  on  the  Mary  Ellen  when  the  storm, 
that  had  been  so  long  threatening,  and  half -per- 
forming, broke  in  all  its  fury. 

There  was  a  tangle  of  ropes,  a  banging  and 
slamming  of  canvas,  which,  stretched  taut  and  to 
its  utmost,  was  as  stiff  as  a  board.  There  was  a 
rattling  of  blocks  and  the  creaking  of  the  boom- 
crotches  against  the  masts.  The  squeak  of  the 
gaffs  higher  up  added  to  the  din. 

The  shouting  of  Captain  Brisco,  and  the  an- 
swering calls  of  his  men  did  not  lessen  the  con- 
fusion. 

"  Lower  away !  Lower  away !  "  the  com- 
mander cried,  ordering  even  the  already  doubly- 
172 


WRECKED  173 

reefed  sails  gotten  down,  so  the  powerful  wind 
would  have  less  resistance.  Even  with  the  small 
area  of  canvas  shown,  the  craft  was  being  heeled 
over  until  the  scuppers — or  the  holes  by  which 
water  runs  off  the  deck — dipped  under  the  waves, 
and  there  was  plenty  of  sea  aboard. 

"Set  that  storm  jib!"  came  the  next  order, 
when  the  main  sails  had  been  furled,  and  that  was 
no  easy  task  with  the  sharp  pitching  and  tossing 
of  the  schooner.  Not  a  very  seamanlike  job  was 
made  of  it,  but  there  was  no  time  for  the  finer 
touches.  The  sails  were  just  clewed  up  to  pre- 
vent them  from  blowing  away,  until  more  time 
could  be  devoted  to  them. 

The  storm  jib,  which  is  the  sail  furthest  front 
on  a  vessel,  unless  it  be  a  flying  jib,  was  set  to 
give  her  enough  way  so  she  would  respond  to  the 
helm,  for  it  was  necessary  to  keep  the  craft  be- 
fore the  wind,  and  head  on  to  the  seas — that  is,  the 
big  waves  must  be  cut  and  broken  by  the  sharp 
prow,  or  bow,  for  had  they  come  at  the  schooner 
sideways,  she  would  have  been  swamped  in- 
stantly. 

Even  the  small  area  of  the  storm  jib  was  hardly 
necessary.  The  Mary  Ellen,  in  that  blow,  would 
have  scudded  along  fairly  well  "  under  bare 
poles,"  that  is  with  no  sails  set  at  all.  Even  Cap- 
tain Brisco  had  his  doubts  about  the  storm  jib  re- 


174 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


sisting.  It  might  pull  away  from  the  holding 
ropes  at  any  moment.  But  its  loss  would  do  no 
harm,  for  it  would  only  be  blown  out  to  sea,  and 
there  were  enough  spare  sails. 

So,  as  I  have  said,  order  came  out  of  confu- 
sion, but  even  the  order  was  somewhat  confused, 
at  least  to  the  members  of  the  moving  picture 
company.  They  had  been  ordered  below,  and 
had  managed,  somehow,  to  get  there,  though 
more  than  one  received  bumps  and  bruises  on  the 
pitching,  tossing  companionway. 

"  Oh,  what  an  awful  storm!  "  complained  Miss 
Dixon,  when  they  were  huddled  in  the  cabin. 

"  Isn't  it  awful — terrible !  "  agreed  her  com- 
panion. "  I  am  frightened  to  death.  We  may 
sink  at  any  minute." 

"  Oh,  not  so  much  danger  of  that  in  a  wooden 
ship,"  said  Paul  consolingly.  He  wished  the  two 
former  vaudeville  actresses  would  try  to  have  a 
little  courage. 

"  I  am  so  frightened,"  murmured  Miss  Pen- 
nington. "  I  wish  Captain  Brisco  would  come 
down  here." 

11  What  for?  "  asked  Alice,  hardly  able  to  keep 
the  contempt  out  of  her  voice. 

"So  he  could  tell  us  if  we  are  in  any  danger, 
and  what  we  ought  to  do,"  was  the  selfish  answer. 
"  He  must  save  us !  " 


WRECKED 


175 


"  He's  trying  to  save  the  ship ! "  said  Alice, 
"  and  you  two  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourselves 
at  a  time  like  this.  Think  of  poor  Russ  and  Mr. 
Sneed  out  in  that  motorboat  all  alone !  " 

"  Oh,  but  they — they're  men,"  faltered  Miss 
Dixon. 

"  Then  why  don't  you  try  to  be  women ! " 
snapped  Alice. 

"  Hush,  my  dear,"  said  her  sister  gently. 

"  I  can't !  "  was  the  answer.  "  When  I  think 
of  poor  Russ " 

"  I'm  going  to  put  on  a  life  preserver,"  ex- 
claimed Miss  Pennington,  favoring  Alice  with  a 
frosty  stare. 

"  Perhaps  that  would  be  a  good  plan  for  us,  my 
uears,"  said  Mr.  DeVere  to  his  daughters.  "  It 
fan  do  no  harm,  at  all  events." 

"  No,"  admitted  Alice.  "  But  we  appear  to  be 
all  right — for  the  time  being,  at  least." 

It  seemed  quieter  up  on  deck  now,  for  the  sail- 
ors had  ceased  rushing  about  adjusting  the  can- 
vas, though  there  was  still  plenty  of  noise.  There 
was  the  rattle  and  bang  of  blocks,  the  whipping 
about  of  ends  of  ropes,  the  slap,  now  and  then,  of 
the  storm  jib,  as  it  was  whipped  back  and  forth. 
Now  and  then  a  heavy  sea  would  fall  on  deck 
with  a  crash. 

At  such  times  the  Mary  Ellen,  stout  as  she  was, 


1^6   THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

would  tremble  from  stem  to  stern,  and  those  in 
the  cabin  would  shiver  and  look  at  one  another 
apprehensively. 

"  Come  on,  Laura,"  called  Miss  Pennington  to 
her  companion.  "  Let's  take  all  the  precautions 
we  can.  We'll  put  on  life  preservers.  But  oh,  I 
daren't  think  of  being  in  the  water  with  all  those 
sharks." 

"  Don't  talk  that  way ! "  said  Paul  in  a  sharp 
whisper,  as  he  saw  Ruth  shrink  back  at  the  word 
"  shark." 

Miss  Pennington  did  not  deign  to  answer,  but 
she  and  her  friend  were  soon  struggling  with  the 
straps  of  a  life  preserver.  At  this  moment  Cap- 
tain Brisco  came  down  into  the  cabin. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  he  asked,  and  his 
voice  was  stern. 

"  We — we  are  getting  ready  for  an — an  emer- 
gency," faltered  Miss  Pennington. 

"  Well,  there  won't  be  any  emergency — at  least 
not  for  a  while,"  the  commander  said  grimly 
"  We  are  doing  very  well.  If  you  want  to  be  un- 
comfortable do  so,  and  put  on  those  cork  jackets. 
But  there  is  no  need  of  it.  I'll  give  you  plenty  of 
warning  if  the  ship  is  likely  to  founder,  and  we'll 
lower  the  boats." 

"Is  there  any  real  danger,  Captain?"  asked 
Mr.  DeVere. 


WRECKED  I77 

"  Well,  of  course  there  always  is,  in  a  storm 
at  sea.  But  we  are  in  no  more  danger  than  hun- 
dreds of  others.  This  is  a  wooden  ship,  and  it 
will  be  a  long  time  sinking,  even  if  it  gets  to  that 
point,  which  is  far  off.  We  haven't  leaked  a  drop 
yet,  and  we're  running  before  the  storm  nicely. 
You  need  have  no  fears." 

"  That's  what  I  thought !  "  exclaimed  Alice, 
with  a  look  at  the  two  former  stage  actresses. 

"  Humph !  "  sniffed  Miss  Dixon.  "  Any  one 
would  think  you  were  a  sailor." 

"  She's  a  good  deal  better  'n  some,"  said  Jack 
Jepson  coming  into  the  cabin  then  to  report  some- 
thing to  Captain  Brisco. 

"  Then  you  would  not  advise  us  to  put  on  life 
preservers  ?  "  asked  Mr.  DeVere. 

"  Not  now,  at  least,"  the  captain  replied.  "  I 
have  done  everything  possible,  and  the  only  thing 
now  is  to  run  before  the  storm.  We  are  in  good 
shape.  The  Mary  Ellen  is  a  better  craft  than  I 
gave  her  credit  for  being.  The  only  thing  to  do 
is  to  wait,  and  hope  for  the  best." 

"  Have  you  plenty  of  lifeboats?  "  the  old  actor 
wanted  to  know. 

"  Yes,  enough  for  all  hands.  They  are  pro- 
visioned and  watered,  and  are  staunch  craft  My 
men  have  orders  to  stand  by  in  case  of  any  real 
danger,  and  put  the  small  boats  over.    But  we  will 


i78 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


stick  to  the  ship  until  the  last,  though  that  is  not 
saying  mind  you,  that  we  will  have  to  desert 
her." 

"  Oh!  I  couldn't  think  of  going  in  one  of  those 
small  boats !  "  cried  Miss  Dixon.  "  They  are  so 
low  in  the  water.  I  should  faint  every  time  I 
looked  over  the  side." 

"  Well  if  she  looked  once,  and  fainted  and 
stayed  so,  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  all  hands," 
murmured  Paul  Ardite. 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that,"  Alice  reproached  him. 

"  That's  how  I  feel  about  her,"  he  answered. 

"  What  can  be  done  about  picking  up  the  mo- 
torboat?"  asked  Mr.  DeVere.  They  all  looked 
anxiously  toward  Captain  Brisco. 

"  I  have  a  man  on  the  lookout,"  answered  the 
commander.  "  It  may  seem  to  some  of  you  heart- 
less to  go  away  and  leave  her." 

"  It  was,"  murmured  gentle  Ruth.  But  she 
only  whispered  the  words.  There  were  tears  in 
her  eyes. 

"  But  I  could  do  nothing  else,"  resumed  Cap- 
tain Brisco.  "  As  I  told  you,  a  vessel  can't  re- 
main stationary  on  the  sea.  We  had  to  move  on 
before  the  gale.  And,  as  I  also  said,  the  motor- 
boat  has  a  better  chance  of  going  where  she 
wants  to  than  have  we,  who  must  depend  on  our 
sails.  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  the  two  in  the 
A  fax  are  safe." 


WRECKED  I79 

But  if  Captain  Brisco,  or  any  of  those  then 
huddled  in  the  cabin  of  the  Mary  Ellen,  could 
have  seen  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed  just  then  they 
would  not  have  envied  them. 

With  the  racing  of  the  engine,  indicating  to 
Russ  that  the  propeller  had  dropped  off  into  the 
sea,  he  at  once  shut  off  the  power.  Without  the 
resistance  of  the  screw  the  machine  would  soon 
have  racked  itself  to  pieces. 

"  Well,  what's  to  be  done?  "  asked  Mr.  Sneed. 

"  That's  the  way  to  talk,"  was  the  response. 
"  We've  got  to  do  something,  that's  sure." 

The  storm  which  at  that  moment  was  envelop- 
ing the  Mary  Ellen  was,  at  the  same  time,  buffet- 
ing about  the  smaller  motorboat.  When  she  lost 
headway  by  the  stopping  of  her  engine  she  no 
longer  took  the  seas  head,  or  bow,  on.  She  fell 
into  the  trough,  and  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
being  swamped. 

"  We've  got  to  bring  her  up,  the  first  thing  we 
do,"  Russ  decided.  "  What  we  need  is  a  drag 
anchor.  That  will  bring  her  head  on  to  the 
waves,  and  we  can  ride  them  better  until  help 
comes." 

"Will  help  ever  come?"  asked  the  actor,  de- 
spondently. 

"  Of  course  it  will.  Or  else  we'll  find  the 
schooner,  or  they  us ! "  responded  Russ. 


!8o     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

While  he  was  talking,  he  was  looking  about  for 
something  to  use  as  a  drag  anchor. 

"  That  will  do ! "  Russ  decided  as  he  saw  a 
heavy  wooden  box.  "  I'll  use  that."  Quickly  he 
tied  a  rope  to  it,  and  tossed  the  box  out. 

"  This  is  better !  "  exclaimed  Russ.  "  Now  let's 
take  an  account  of  stock,  and  see  what  else  we 
can  do.    We  may  be  here  for  some  time." 

"  We  can't  live  very  long  in  this  awful 
weather!  "  groaned,  rather  than  spoke,  Mr.  Sneed. 

"  Oh,  don't  give  up  so  easily,"  said  Russ. 

But  when  the  storm  grew  worse,  and  the  tiny 
craft  was  buffeted  about,  shipping  considerable 
water,  even  stout-hearted  Russ  was  not  as  hope- 
ful as  he  had  been.  He  had  stowed  the  camera  in 
a  safe  place,  and  put  the  films  in  a  water-tight 
box  well  forward.  Then  the  only  thing  to  do  was 
to  wait.  In  vain  he  scanned  the  sea  through  the 
storm  for  a  sight  of  the  schooner.  He  could 
catch  no  glimpse  of  her. 

Meanwhile  the  lookout  on  the  Mary  Ellen  was 
eagerly  watching  for  any  signs  of  the  Ajax,  but 
he  had  even  less  chance  of  seeing  her  than  Russ 
and  Mr.  Sneed  did  of  sighting  the  larger  vessel. 

The  storm  was  constantly  growing  worse.  As 
old  Jack  had  said,  the  schooner  had  actually  been 
caught  in  the  very  vortex  of  it,  but  the  whirling 
motion,  imparted  by  the  meeting  of  two  different 


WRECKED  X8i 

wind  currents,  had  been  the  saving  of  the  craft. 
She  had  been  shunted  to  the  outer  edge,  as  a 
cork,  going  around  in  a  whirlpool,  is  sometimes 
tossed  to  safety  by  the  very  violence  of  the  mo- 
tion. 

Then  she  had  scudded  before  the  gale. 

All  that  night  they  scudded  before  the  storm, 
not  knowing  where  they  were,  and  when  morning 
came  there  was  a  wild  and  tumultuous  waste  of 
waters  all  about  them.  Alice  ventured  up  on 
deck,  against  the  advice  of  her  father  and  sister. 

She  saw  Jack  Jepson  and  some  sailors  amid- 
ships. They  seemed  to  be  in  earnest  consultation. 
Alice  drew  near  them,  intending  to  ask  if  there 
were  any  news. 

As  she  came  near  the  mainmast,  there  was  a 
sudden  veer  to  the  craft,  a  snapping,  splintering 
sound,  and  the  mast,  with  its  gear  of  sail,  boom 
and  gaff  crashed  over  the  side,  smashing  the 
stout  bulwarks. 

"  Look  out,  gal !  "  hoarsely  cried  Old  Jack,  and 
he  snatched  Alice  back  only  just  in  time,  for  the 
mast  splintered  down  right  in  front  of  her. 

With  the  crash  and  splintering  of  the  wood, 
and  the  breaking  of  the  side  of  the  schooner, 
there  arose  the  cry  of : 

"  We're  wrecked !    We're  wrecked!  " 


CHAPTER  XXII 
"  mutiny!  " 

Jack  Jepson's  first  thought  was  to  get  Alice  to 
a  place  of  safety. 

"  You  shouldn't  have  come  up !  "  he  shouted  in 
her  ear,  as  he  fairly  carried  her  along  the  sloping 
deck.  He  had  to  shout  to  be  heard  above  the  roar 
of  the  wind,  the  pounding  of  the  broken  mast 
against  the  side  of  the  schooner,  and  the  swish  of 
the  salt  water  whipped  into  spray  by  the  power- 
ful gale. 

Jack  set  Alice  down  at  the  head  of  the  com- 
panionway,  and  indicated  by  gestures,  rather 
than  words,  that  she  was  to  go  below.  As  she 
descended  the  sloping  stairs,  holding  to  the  rope 
rail  to  prevent  stumbling,  she  saw  Captain  Brisco 
spring  forward.  Whatever  else  he  was,  the  com- 
mander did  not  shrink  from  any  emergency. 

"Cut  away  that  mast!"  he  cried.  "She'll 
have  us  stove  in  if  we  don't  cut  her  loose !  " 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !  "  answered  Jack. 

He  and  several  other  sailors  had  seized  axes  as 
182 


MUTINY! 


183 


soon  as  the  result  of  the  crash  was  seen,  and  now 
sprang  to  the  broken  bulwarks,  over  which  the 
mainmast  lay,  the  jagged  end  of  it  in  the  water, 
pounding  against  the  side  of  the  schooner  at  every 
roll,  and  threatening  to  punch  a  hole  in  her  as  a 
battering  ram  punctures  a  wall. 

"Strike  hard,  men!"  called  Jack,  and  the 
sound  of  their  axes  followed.  Ropes  were  sev- 
ered with  a  blow,  but  the  wire  shrouds  were 
tougher,  and  it  was  not  until  several  minutes  had 
passed  that  the  mast,  with  its  tangle  of  sails  and 
ropes,  was  chopped  free  to  float  away  on  the  crest 
of  a  billow. 

"  Get  up  the  mizzen  storm  sail !  "  ordered  Cap- 
tain Brisco.     "  She's  falling  off !  " 

The  schooner  was  indeed  in  danger  of  wallow- 
ing in  the  trough  of  the  big  waves. 

Pausing  only  for  a  moment,  the  sailors  who 
had  labored  so  valiantly  at  cutting  loose  the 
broken  mast,  sprang  to  get  more  sail  on  the  craft. 
She  was  deprived  of  the  reefed,  or  shortened, 
one  that  had  been  on  the  stick  which  was  now 
overboard,  and  the  jib  was  not  enough  to  hold 
her  head  to  the  waves. 

"What  is  it?  Oh  what  is  it?"  gasped  Miss 
Pennington  as  Alice  fell,  rather  than  walked  down 
the  companionway  into  the  cabin. 

"Are  we  sinking?"  demanded  Miss  Dixon. 


!84     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Not  at  all !  "  answered  Alice,  catching  her 
breath,  and,  with  a  shake  of  her  head  freeing  her 
face  from  the  salty  spray  that  had  drenched  her. 
"  It  isn't  anything  at  all." 

She  determined  to  make  light  of  it,  even  though 
her  own  heart  was  beating  like  a  hammer  at  the 
thought  of  her  narrow  escape  from  possible  death. 

Alice  really  did  not  know  whether  there  was 
any  danger  or  not  from  the  fall  of  the  mast.  She 
had  often  read  of  such  things  happening,  and  she 
remembered  that  the  masts  were  always  "  cut 
away."  So  she  supposed,  as  long  as  this  was 
being  done,  that  the  proper  course  was  being  fol- 
lowed. 

"  There's  no  danger  at  all,"  she  said,  speaking 
more  calmly  now. 

"  No  danger !  "  cried  Miss  Pennington.  "  Lis- 
ten to  that !  " 

It  was  the  noise  of  sailors  on  deck  chopping 
away  the  mast-gear. 

"  Oh,  one  of  those  upright  sticks,  that  they 
hang  the  sails  on,  fell  over.  Not  enough  glue  on 
it,  I  guess,"  said  Alice,  calmly. 

"  Not  enough  glue !  "  gasped  Paul.  "  Well,  I 
never — " 

"  Can't  you  take  a  joke?  "  Alice  whispered  to 
him,  as  she  saw  that  her  minimizing  of  the  acci- 
dent was  having  its  effect. 


•  MUTINY! 


185 


"  Oh,  yes,  of  course !  "  Paul  exclaimed.  "  Not 
enough  glue  on  it — Oh  yes !  "  and  he  had  to  turn 
away  to  keep  from  smiling  at  the  idea  of  a  mast, 
— that  is  the  most  firmly  set  of  anything  on  a 
ship,  (being  indeed  almost  an  integral  part  of  it) 
• — the  idea  of  that  being  stayed  with  glue  was 
enough  to  make  almost  anyone  smile,  even  in  the 
midst  of  danger. 

The  sounds  on  the  deck  gradually  became  more 
quiet.  The  danger  seemed  to  be  oyer  for  the  time 
being.  The  moving  picture  actors  and  actresses 
crowded  around  Alice  to  hear  her  story  of  the 
accident.  She  carefully  avoided  mentioning  her 
own  peril,  but  she  resolved  to  properly  thank  old 
Jack  later.  Just  now  Alice  did  not  want  her 
father  to  worry.  His  throat  w&s  troubling  him 
because  of  the  amount  of  salt  spray  in  the  air. 

On  deck  Captain  Brisco  and  Jack  Jepson  took 
charge  of  matters  until  the  wreckage  had  been 
cleared  away.  And  a  lot  of  wreckage  there  was. 
The  Mary  Ellen  looked  little  like  the  trim 
schooner  that  had  left  New  York  a  few  weeks  be- 
fore. 

Jack  Jepson  stepped  close  to  the  stump  of  the 
mainmast.  He  gave  one  look  at  it,  and  uttered  a 
single  word. 

"  Rotten !  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  cried  Captain  Brisco  sharply. 


^6    the  moving  picture  girls  at  sea 

"Rotten!"  repeated  the  mate.  "That  mast 
had  dry  rot  to  the  very  core.  Only  the  varnish 
held  her  together." 

"What's  that  to  you?"  cried  the  captain  in 
angry  tones.  "  You  keep  your  opinions  to  your- 
self!  When  I  want  'em,  I'll  ask  for  'em!  Now 
get  below  and  see  if  we're  taking  in  any  water." 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  was  the  answer,  but  Jack 
gave  the  captain  a  queer  look. 

He  found  some  water  coming  in,  but  not  more, 
he  thought,  than  the  pumps  could  take  care  of,  so 
he  reported  the  matter  only  to  Captain  Brisco. 

"  That's  good,"  the  commander  said,  seemingly 
well  pleased.  "  I  guess  they  can  have  their  fake 
shipwreck  after  all,  if  the  weather  clears." 

As  the  day  advanced,  the  storm  lulled  slightly, 
but  it  was  still  rough.  Those  of  the  moving  pic- 
ture company  who  ventured  up  on  deck  went  be* 
*tfw  again  with  white,  scared  faces  at  the  sight  of 
the  wreckage  of  the  mainmast.  For  it  did  look 
doleful. 

"  This  shipwreck  comes  pretty  near  being  real," 
said  Mr.  Pertell.  "If  we  could  only  photograph 
it  now,  it  would  make  a  line  film." 

"  Can't  you?  "  asked  Alice. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  I  could  make  some  views." 

A.  few  hundred  feet  of  film  were  exposed  by 
one  of  the  operators,  but  the  pretended  shipwreck 


'MUTINY! 


I87 


would  need  to  be  taken  from  a  small  boat,  and 
the  sea  was  too  rough  to  admit  of  that. 

Then  the  storm,  that  had  given  them  a  brief 
respite,  began  again,  worse  than  before.  The 
schooner  was  tossed  about  like  a  toy,  and  the 
mizzenmast  was  sprung  so  that  no  sail  could  be 
rigged  on  it. 

Then  when  a  great  wave  struck  the  craft,  wash- 
ing over  her  from  stem  to  stern,  the  work  of  the 
ocean  and  the  storm  elements  seemed  completed. 
The  Mary  Ellen  staggered  under  the  blow  like 
some  living  thing,  and  she  did  not  rise  to  it  as 
buoyantly  as  she  had  before. 

Jack  Jepson  came  rushing  up  from  below. 

"  We're  leaking  fast!  "  he  cried.  "  We'd  bet- 
ter take  to  the  boats,  Captain  Brisco !  The  pumps 
won't  work !  " 

"  The  boats !  Nonsense !  "  the  captain  cried. 
"  We'll  ride  it  out  here.  The  schooner  is  all 
right ! " 

"  I  tell  you  she's  sinking !  "  yelled  Jack.  "  We 
must  take  to  the  boats." 

"  What  ?  Do  you  dare  give  orders  in  my 
face !  "  stormed  Captain  Brisco.  "  This  is  mutiny, 
sir!  This  is  mutiny !  I'll  put  you  in  irons !  "  and 
with  raised  fist  he  started  toward  the  old  sailor. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 


HELP  AT  LAST 


Jack  Jepson  was  a  brave  man.  He  proved  it 
then  by  standing  unflinchingly  in  front  of  the 
angry  captain,  when  shrinking  back  might  have 
meant  a  blow  that  would  have  brought  about  a 
general  fight.  Seeing  him  standing  there  fear- 
lessly, made  Captain  Brisco  pause.  And  that 
gave  the  others  time  for  action. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  cried  Mr.  Pertell. 

"  He  is  trying  to  start  a  mutiny  as  he  did  once 
before !  "  fairly  yelled  Captain  Brisco. 

"  I  never  started  a  mutiny  before,  and  I'm  not 
trying  to  do  so  now !  "  retorted  Jack,  and  he 
seemed  to  have  lost  much  of  his  timid  simplicity. 
"  I  tell  you  the  ship  is  sinking,  and  we  had  best 
take  to  the  boats  while  there  is  time." 

"  And  I  tell  you  that  you  are  wrong !  "  snarled 
Captain  Brisco.    "  I  order  you  below !  " 

"  And  I  won't  go,  until  I  have  told  these  people 
what  is  going  on  here ! "  retorted  Jack  Jepson. 

"  If  that  isn't  mutiny,  I'd  like  to  know  what 
is,"  cried  the  captain. 

1 88 


HELP  AT  LAST  ^ 

"  Well,  if  that's  mutiny,  then  I'm  glad  to  be  a 
mutineer !  "  shouted  the  old  salt,  "  and  any  court 
in  the  land  would  uphold  me,  for  I  am  trying  to 
save  lives,  and  you're  trying  to  throw  'em  away." 

"  Throw  'em  away !    What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  You  know  what  I  mean,"  replied  Jack,  and 
there  was  significance  in  his  voice.  "  I  won't  say 
anything  about  putting  to  sea  in  a  ship  that  wasn't 
fit — with  masts  that  were  nothin'  but  dry  rot,  and 
with  pumps  that  only  half  work  at  best.  And  I 
won't  say  anything  about  your  plot — there  isn't 
time  now.    But  I  will  say " 

"  A  plot ! "  cried  Alice,  who,  with  Ruth,  stood 
near  her  father. 

K  Yes,  a  plot,  Miss !  "  Jack  Jepson  cried.  "  I'll 
tell  you  about  it  later.  But  now  we've  got  to  do 
something.  The  water's  comin'  in  fast,  and  if 
we  can't  stop  it,  we'll  have  to  take  to  the  boats." 

"  Look  here !  "  stormed  Captain  Brisco,  and  his 
voice  was  almost  in  keeping  with  the  howl  of  the 
gale  all  about  them,  and  almost  as  raucous  as  the 
salty  spray  that  flew  over  everything.  "  Look 
here!    Who  is  captain  of  this  ship?  " 

"  You  are,"  replied  Jack  quietly  enough.  He 
looked  the  angry  man  full  in  the  eye,  and  the  half- 
raised  fist  of  the  commander  fell  again. 

"  Then  if  I'm  captain,  I'm  going  to  be 
obeyed !  "  came  next.    "  I  order  you  below,  Jep- 


190 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


son.  You're  no  longer  mate  of  this  craft 
You're  deposed !  Hen  Lacomb,  I  hereby  appoint 
you  first  mate  until  my  regular  one  recovers,  and 
you,  Hankinson,  you're  second  mate.  Lively 
now.  Jepson,  go  below,  and  if  he  makes  any 
more  trouble,  Hen,  clap  him  in  irons,"  he  added 
significantly. 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence  following  this 
announcement — that  is,  as  much  quiet  as  the 
storm  permitted.    Then  Alice  cried  out : 

"  Father,  won't  you  say  something !  Mr. 
Pertell,  you're  not  going  to  permit  this,  are  you? 
I'm  sure  Jack  Jepson  is  honest  and  that  he  is 
faithfully  warning  us.  Don't  let  him  be  put  down 
this  way.    Ask  him  what  he  means  by  a  plot !  " 

"  Oh,  Alice !  "  protested  her  sister.  "  At  a  time 
like  this — when  we  may  all  be  drowned !  " 

"  We'll  all  be  drowned  worse,  maybe,  if  Jack's 
advice  isn't  taken.  What  is  it  ?  "  she  asked,  ap- 
pealing to  the  old  sailor.  "  What  is  the  plot  you 
spoke  of  ? " 

"  Ask  him  ?  "  cried  the  old  salt,  pointing  an 
accusing  finger  at  the  captain.  "  Ask  him,  and  if 
he  doesn't  tell  you,  I  will.  Talk  about  a  mutiny ! 
It  wouldn't  be  half  as  bad  as  his  plot  for  getting 
possession  of  this  vessel." 

"  What's  that !  "  cried  Captain  Brisco,  starting 
forward.    "  You  dare  accuse  me " 


HELP  AT  LAST 


191 


"  Yes,  you  and  Hen  Lacomb !  "  cried  Jack,  who 
seemed  to  have  acquired  a  new  boldness.  "  I 
charge  you  with  plotting  to  make  a  fizzle  of  the 
shipwreck  these  picture  people  planned.  You 
were  going  to  pretend  the  vessel  was  sinking,  be- 
fore the  time  set  for  the  pictures,  and  you  were 
going  to  get  them  to  abandon  the  schooner.  Then 
you  and  Lacomb  were  going  to  come  back  to  the 
ship  later,  take  her  to  some  secret  port,  fit  her  out 
again  and  use  her  for  your  own  purposes. 

"  That's  the  plot !  That's  what  I  overheard 
you  and  Lacomb  plannin',  and  when  you  suspected 
I  knew,  you  thought  I'd  be  better  off  in  the  sea. 
That's  how  I  happened  to  go  overboard.  I  was 
thrown!  That's  what  I  charge  you  with.  Deny 
it  if  ye  dare ! "  and  he  pointed  an  accusing  finger 
at  the  two  men.  "  You  threw  me  overboard,  Hen 
Lacomb!  And  Captain  Brisco  planned  to  have 
you  do  it !  " 

Captain  Brisco  appeared  to  struggle  with  some 
emotion.  His  face  went  red  and  white  by  turns. 
He  seemed  unable  to  speak.  But  at  last  he  choked 
out: 

"  What !  You  dare  say  that  to  me.  You  ac- 
cuse me !  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  have  the  proof ! "  cried  Jack. 
"  Here's  the  agreement  you  made  Lacomb  sign. 
You  were  afraid  to  trust  to  him  unless  he  made  a 


I92     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

promise  in  writing,  and  here  it  is.  I  found  it  in 
the  secret  compartment  in  your  cabin.  Your 
cabin  that  used  to  be  mine  in  the  old  Mary  Ellen. 
That's  how  I  made  sure  this  ship  was  the  old  one 
I  used  to  serve  on,  made  over.  I  found  this  agree- 
ment! It's  the  proof  of  what  I  say.  Deny  it  if 
you  can." 

"  Why — why — "  stammered  the  captain.  "  Do 
you  dare — "  but  it  seemed  he  could  not  get  any 
farther.  He  glanced  at  Hen  Lacomb  who  stood 
near  him.  A  meaning  look  passed  between  the 
two  men,  and  Hen  started  edging  around  toward 
Jack  Jepson. 

"  Father !  Mr.  Pertell !  "  cried  Alice.  "  Let  us 
have  this  settled !  Jack  has  made  charges.  They 
may  be  true  or  they  may  not  be.  But  our  lives 
surely  are  in  danger  if  this  vessel  is  sinking." 

"  And  I  say  she  isn't  sinking !  She's  as  sound 
as  a  bell  below  the  water  line !  "  cried  the  captain. 

"  And  I  say  she  has  a  hole  stove  in  her,  an'  un- 
less it's  stopped  we'll  be  at  the  bottom  in  a  few 
hours !  "  cried  Jack.  "  The  mast  knocked  a  hole 
in  her  and  she's  takin'  water  fast.  The  pumps  are 
no  good,  but  they  can  be  fixed  with  a  little  work 
on  'em." 

"  Keep  still !  "  the  captain  shouted.  "  You're 
under  arrest  as  a  mutineer." 

"  No  he  isn't !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Pertell.    "  This 


HELP  AT  LAST  zg$ 

is  my  vessel.  I'm  the  chief  owner  of  it,  and  I  here 
and  now  depose  you  as  captain,  Mr.  Brisco,  and 
appoint  Jack  Jepson  in  your  place !  " 

There  was  a  gasp  of  baffled  rage  from  the 
former  commander. 

"  Jack,  take  charge,"  said  Mr.  Pertell.  "  Select 
as  mates  whoever  you  want.  We'll  go  into  this 
matter  of  the  plot  later.  Just  now  we  must  save 
the  ship  if  we  can.  Everything  must  give  way  to 
that.    Do  you  accept  ?  " 

"  What !  Him  captain  ?  "  cried  Hen  Lacomb, 
who  was  edging  nearer  and  nearer  to  Jack  all  this 
while. 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  Mr.  Pertell. 

"  He  doesn't  know  how  to  navigate.  He'll  run 
us  aground." 

"  I  wish  he  would  run  us  on  der  ground !  "  mur- 
mured Mr.  Switzer.  "  I  haf  hat  enough  of  der 
ocean.    Der  ground  is  goot  enough  for  me." 

"  I  can  navigate !  "  cried  Jack.  "  I  hold  a 
master's  certificate,  though  I've  only  filled  mates' 
berths  of  late." 

"  I — I  refuse  to  serve  under  him,"  stormed 
Captain  Brisco.  "  And  when  we  reach  port,  I 
shall  lay  this  matter  before  the  authorities.  You 
can't  depose  a  captain  this  way !  " 

"Can't  I?"  asked  Mr.  Pertell  coolly.  "I 
rather  think  I  can.     I  looked  up  the  law  on  the 


194    THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

rights  of  owners  before  I  started  on  this  voyage, 
Jack  Jepson  is  captain." 

"  And  I  refuse  to  serve  under  him." 

"  Very  well.  Then  you  can  either  work  your 
passage,  or  pay  for  your  passage,  I  don't  care 
which.  But  I'm  going  to  save  this  ship,  and  the 
lives  of  those  aboard  her,  if  I  can." 

There  was  a  sudden  little  scuffle  near  Jack  Jep- 
son, and  Hen  Lacomb  went  sprawling  on  the 
deck. 

"  No  you  don't ! "  drawled  Mr.  Switzer  in  his 
most  German  comedian  voice.  "  I  think  you  haf 
fallen.  Dit  you  hurt  yourself  ?  "  he  asked  of  the 
prostrate  Hen. 

The  latter,  with  a  growl,  got  to  his  feet,  an 
angry  look  on  his  face. 

"  What  happened?  "  asked  Mr.  Pertell. 

"  Oh,  noddings  dit  happen,"  was  the  reply. 
"  It  iss  only  vat  might  haf  happenet.  He  vas  get- 
ting so  close  by  Jack  dot  Jack  might  fall  ofer 
board  again,  und  ve  don't  vant  to  lose  our  new 
captain  so  soon  yet,"  explained  Mr.  Switzer 
cheerfully. 

He  thus  made  light  of  the  affair,  but  later  it 
came  out  that  Hen  Lacomb  had  evidently  had  the 
intention  of  at  least  trying  to  pitch  Jack  over- 
board, as  the  easiest  solution  of  the  trouble  of 
Captain  Brisco  and  his  crony. 


HELP  AT  LAST  jqij 

"This  is  enough!"  cried  Mr.  Pertell.  "Jack, 
you're  captain.  Do  what  you  like  to  insure  the 
safety  of  us  and  the  ship.  Captain  Brisco  is  no 
longer  in  command  of  this  vessel,"  the  manager 
went  on  to  a  wondering  group  of  sailors.  "  I  call 
for  three  cheers  for  Captain  Jack  Jepson !  " 

They  were  given  with  a  will,  for  evidently  Jack 
was  a  favorite,  and  the  deposed  captain  was  not. 
The  latter  slunk  below  followed  by  Hen  Lacomb. 

"  We've  got  to  try  to  stop  that  leak  first  of 
all ! "  said  Jack,  as  he  carefully  put  in  his  pocket 
the  paper  he  had  claimed  was  an  agreement  be- 
tween Brisco  and  his  crony.  "  I  appoint  Jim 
iWest  as  first  mate  and  Frank  Snyder  as  second !  " 
the  new  captain  went  on.  "  Come  below,  you 
two,  and  we'll  see  what  we  can  do.  We've  got  to 
mend  the  pumps.  Keep  her  about  as  she  is,"  he 
ordered  the  steersman. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir ! "  was  the  respectful  answer. 
Jack  was  already  developing  new  qualities  as  a 
commander. 

"  This  is  a  distressing  state  of  affairs,"  said 
Mr.  DeVere. 

"  Not  as  bad  as  it  might  be,"  Mr.  Pertell  an- 
swered. "  There  is  a  chance  for  us  now.  I 
never  dreamed  that  Brisco  was  such  a  scoundrel." 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  Captain  Jack  is  in  charge ! " 
cried  Alice.     "  And  I'm  so  glad  he  found  out 


196 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


about  the  plot.  Maybe  this  will  help  to  clear  him 
of  the  other  unjust  charge,"  she  went  on. 

"  Perhaps,"  agreed  Ruth.  "  But  oh,  Alice !  If 
we  should  sink! " 

"  Nonsense !    We're  not  going  to  sink !  " 

And  so  it  proved — at  least  the  Mary  Ellen  was 
not  doomed  to  go  to  the  bottom  at  once.  The 
storm  still  raged  with  seemingly  unabated  vio- 
lence, but  the  sailors,  under  the  direction  of  Cap- 
tain Jepson,  got  a  heavy  piece  of  canvas  over  the 
worst  leak,  and  then  the  repaired  pumps  kept  the 
water  in  the  hold  down  to  a  normal  level. 

The  failure  of  the  pumps  to  work,  until  Jack 
and  the  men  fixed  them  was  due  to  criminal  negli- 
gence on  the  part  of  Brisco.  He  put  to  sea  with 
this  necessary  part  of  a  ship  in  poor  condition,  not 
thinking  they  would  be  needed. 

Brisco  was  a  desperate  man,  and  so  was  La- 
comb.  They  had  been  involved  in  more  than  one 
shady  transaction,  and  though  both  may  have 
been  aboard  with  Jack,  during  the  mutiny,  they 
successfully  covered  their  tracks. 

Brisco  and  Lacomb  sulked  below,  and,  for  the 
time  being,  no  effort  was  made  to  bring  them  up 
and  set  them  to  work,  though  every  hand  was 
needed.  Some  of  the  members  of  the  film  com- 
pany turned  in  and  helped.  It  was  thought  better 
not  to  incite  a  fight. 


HELP  AT  LAST  igy 

So  the  Mary  Ellen  lurched  on  through  the 
storm,  a  mere  semblance  of  the  gallant  craft  she 
had  appeared  to  be  on  leaving  port.  And  those 
aboard  labored  desperately  to  keep  her  afloat. 

"  Talk  about  a  shipwreck !  "  gasped  Mr.  Pertell, 
as  a  wave  drenched  him,  "  this  is  the  most  realistic 
I  ever  saw.    If  I  could  only  picture  this! " 

But  it  was  impossible.  How  the  planned 
drama  of  the  sea  would  end,  no  one  could  tell. 

'■'  And  oh!  to  think  of  poor  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneeri 
out  in  this — if  they  are  still  out  in  it,"  murmured 
Alice,  as  she  and  Ruth  clung  to  one  another  in 
their  cabin. 

"  The  Ajax  may  have  survived,"  Ruth  said, 
hopefully. 

And  indeed,  at  that  moment,  the  motorboat 
was  making  the  best  of  the  bad  weather. 

The  sea  anchor  which  Russ  had  rigged  pro- 
vided the  necessary  drag  and  steerage  way,  and 
the  boat's  head  was  kept  to  the  waves.  Her  high 
bow,  and  covered  fore-part,  enabled  her  to  ride 
seas  that  would  have  swamped  another  craft  of 
like  size.  And  her  dory-build  added  to  her  safety. 
The  bank  fishermen  know  well  how  to  shape  a 
boat  to  meet  heavy  seas. 

"  Well,  we  seem  to  be  doing  fairly  well,"  said 
Russ,  as  he  and  his  companion  settled  down  in  the 


198 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


shelter,  to  nibble  at  a  bit  of  hard  tack  and  drink 
some  of  the  water  Jack  had  put  on  board. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  might  be  worse,"  agreed 
Mr.  Sneed.  And  that,  for  him,  was  saying  a 
great  deal. 

So  the  Ajax  drifted  on,  as  the  Mary  Ellen  was 
driving,  before  the  gale,  the  occupants  of  neither 
craft  knowing  aught  of  the  others.  And  the 
storm  still  raged. 

After  a  while  Russ,  for  want  of  something  bet- 
ter to  do,  began  looking  over  the  motor.  Pres- 
ently he  discovered  something  that  made  him 
shout  for  joy. 

"  What  is  it?  "  asked  his  companion.  "  Do  you 
see  the  schooner  ?  " 

"  No,  but  I  can  make  this  boat  run.  Look, 
the  propeller  hasn't  dropped  off  at  all!  The  set 
screws  of  the  sleeve  have  become  loose  and  the 
propeller  shaft  didn't  turn,  that  was  all." 

If  any  of  you  know  anything  about  motor- 
boats,  you  know  that  the  shaft  which  passes 
through  the  stuffing  box,  and  to  which  shaft  the 
propeller  is  fastened,  is  joined  to  the  shaft  of  the 
engine  by  a  coupling,  or  sleeve.  If  you  take  two 
lead  pencils,  and  thrust  an  end  of  each  into  each 
end  of  a  hollow,  brass  pencil  holder,  you  will  get 
an  idea  of  what  I  mean.  One  pencil  will  repre- 
sent the  shaft  to  which  the  propeller  is  fastened, 


HELP  AT  LAST  199 

and  the  other  the  engine  shaft.  The  brass  holder 
is  the  coupling,  or  sleeve.  In  order  that  the 
shafts  will  be  held  rigidly  together,  turning  at  the 
same  time,  set  screws  in  the  sleeve  are  tightly 
turned  down  on  the  shaft,  binding  both  in  the 
sleeve. 

It  was  the  set  screws  on  the  propeller  shaft  that 
had  loosed,  allowing  the  sleeve  to  slip  uselessly 
around,  that  had  caused  all  the  trouble.  With  a 
wrench  Russ  tightened  the  screws.  He  tested 
them,  and,  finding  them  firm,  started  the  engine. 
A  moment  later  the  Ajax  was  moving  over  the 
waves  under  her  own  power. 

"Hurray!"  cried  Mr.  Sneed.  "This  is 
great ! " 

"  And  we  don't  need  this  any  longer,"  Russ 
said,  hauling  in  the  drag  anchor.  Then,  able  to 
mount  the  waves,  the  motorboat  was  in  much  bet- 
ter condition  for  fighting  the  storm. 

On  and  on  she  rushed.  Hour  after  hour 
passed,  but  the  gale  showed  no  signs  of  abating. 
The  two  young  men  were  weary  and  disheart- 
ened, when,  as  there  came  a  little  rift  in  the  clouds 
Russ,  who  stood  up  to  look  about,  gave  a  yeli. 

"  What  is  it  now  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Sneed.  "  More 
trouble?" 

"  No !  "  cried  Russ.  "  I  see  a  steamer.  Help 
at  last !    I'm  going  straight  for  her ! " 


CHAPTER  XXIV 


A  SIGNAL  OF  DISTRESS 


Russ  had  been  running  the  motor  at  moderate 
speed,  for  he  did  not  know  just  how  long  the 
supply  of  gasoline  would  last,  and  he  did  not 
know  as  yet  what  might  be  before  him  and  his 
companion  in  distress.  But  the  sight  of  the 
steamer  gave  him  hope,  and  he  turned  on  full 
speed. 

The  Ajax  was  a  powerful  craft,  though  even  a 
mighty  steamer  would  not  have  found  it  easy  to 
make  headway  in  that  sea  and  in  that  gale.  The 
motor  craft  responded  gallantly,  and  shot  up  on 
the  crest  of  each  wave,  sliding  down  the  opposite 
side  as  though  she  were  going  to  investigate  the 
uttermost  depths  of  Father  Neptune's  caverns. 

"  Steamer !  I  don't  see  any  steamer ! "  ex- 
claimed Mr.  Sneed,  as  he  looked  in  the  direction 
toward  which  the  face  of  Russ  was  turned. 

"  You  will  when  we  both  come  on  top  of  a 
wave  at  the  same  time,"  was  the  answer.  "  You 
see  we  lie  so  low  in  the  water  she  can't  see  us, 

200 


A  SIGNAL  OF  DISTRESS  20I 

and  we  can't  glimpse  her  until  we're  both  on  a 
crest  together.  She's  off  to  the  east  there. 
Watch  and  you'll  see  her.    Look  now !  " 

At  that  moment  the  Ajax  rose  on  a  mighty 
wave,  which  lifted  her  high  toward  the  sky, 
in  which  were  now  rifted  clouds.  Mr.  Sneed 
glanced  to  where  Russ  pointed,  and  saw  the  long, 
black  hull  of  a  steamer,  from  whose  stacks 
belched  forth  clouds  of  smoke,  showing  that  her 
engines  were  being  driven  at  top  speed  to  over- 
come the  storm. 

"  There  she  is !  "  cried  Russ.  "  Now  if  we  can 
only  reach  her,  we'll  be  all  right,  and  we  can  help 
the  others." 

"  The  others,"  murmured  the  actor. 

"  Yes,  those  on  the  Mary  Ellen.  She  must  be 
in  trouble  in  this  storm,  for  she  isn't  built  for  this 
sort  of  thing.  It's  a  wonder  she  lasted  as  long 
as  she  did." 

"  Maybe  she's  at  the  bottom  now,"  suggested 
Mr.  Sneed. 

"Cheerful,  aren't  you?"  remarked  Russ.  "I 
thought  you'd  given  that  sort  of  thing  up." 

"  I  meant  to.  I  really  did.  I'm  sorry !  "  the 
other  exclaimed,  contritely  enough.  Really  he 
was  a  different  sort  of  Mr.  Sneed ,  from  the 
"  human  grouch  "  who  often  made  matters  so  un- 
pleasant for  members  of  the  Comet  Film  Com- 


202     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

pany.  Since  he  and  Russ  had  so  nearly  faced 
death,  Mr.  Sneed  was  much  braver  and  more 
cheerful. 

"  I  think  she'll  keep  afloat  for  some  time,"  Russ 
went  on,  "  as  she  is  all  wood,  you  know.  She 
may  be  pretty  well  battered,  though." 

If  he  could  only  have  seen  the  hapless  Mary 
Ellen  then,  he  would  have  believed  her  quite  bat- 
tered indeed.    For  another  rotten  mast  had  fallen. 

"  Do  you  mean  you're  going  to  ask  those  on  the 
steamer  to  look  for  the  schooner,"  asked  Mr. 
Sneed. 

"  That's  what  I'm  going  to  do,  if  we  can  get 
to  her,"  Russ  said.  "  It's  going  to  be  nip  and 
tuck,  for  she's  going  fast  and  she  won't  see  us, 
as  we're  so  low  in  the  water.  She's  not  heading 
in  our  direction,  either,  but  I'll  go  after  her  on  a 
long  slant,  and  maybe  I  can  reach  her,  or  get  near 
enough  to  make  her  see  us.  This  is  a  pretty  fast 
boat." 

They  were  speeding  over  the  waves,  now  down 
in  a  hollow,  and  again  on  the  crest.  Sometimes 
they  would  lose  sight  of  the  steamer  altogether, 
and  again  they  would  catch  a  fleeting  glimpse  of 
her.  And,  when  they  did,  she  seemed  farther  off 
than  ever. 

"  Oh,  we'll  never  reach  her !  "  said  Mr.  Sneed, 
despondently  enough.  "  She'll  never  give  us  any 
aid." 


A  SIGNAL  OF  DISTRESS  203 

"  There  you  go !  "  cried  Russ.  "  I  thought 
you'd  given  up  that  sort  of  thing !  " 

"  Well,  I  didn't  mean  just  that,"  the  actor  said. 
"  Perhaps  we  will  make  her  see  us  after  all." 

"That's  better!"  exclaimed  Russ.  "We'll 
get  her — or  crack  a  cylinder !  "  and  he  tried  to 
get  a  few  more  revolutions  out  of  the  fly  wheel. 

In  spite  of  their  brave  front,  Russ  and  his 
companion  were  sufficiently  miserable.  Their 
boat  constantly  shipped  water,  and  they  had  to 
use  the  hand  force  pump,  which,  fortunately,  was 
in  the  craft.  A  pump  was  connected  with  the 
cylinder  cooling  apparatus,  designed  to  free  the 
cockpit  of  bilge  water,  but  the  pump  would  not 
work. 

Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed  were  wet  through,  for  the 
cabin  could  not  be  entirely  closed  against  the 
spray.  And  they  had  nothing  to  eat  except  cold 
victuals.  There  was  a  gasoline  stove  aboard,  but 
there  was  nothing  to  cook,  for  only  an  emergency 
ration  had  been  put  in  the  craft,  and  that  was 
more  because  of  a  whim  on  the  part  of  Jack  Jep- 
son,  than  because  he  really  thought  it  would  be 
needed. 

But  more  than  once  as  they  drank  of  the 
water,  and  nibbled  the  hard  biscuits,  or  crackers, 
in  the  water-tight  box,  Russ  and  his  companion 
blessed  the  forethought  of  honest  Jack  Jepson — I 


204 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 


beg  his  pardon,  Captain  Jepson  it  was  now, 
though  neither  Russ  nor  Mr.  Sneed  knew  that. 

"  I  think  I'll  hoist  a  signal,"  said  the  actor,  as 
they  drove  on,  now  seeing  the  steamer,  and  again 
losing  her. 

"  Good  idea,"  Russ  agreed,  as  he  busied  him- 
self with  an  oil  can. 

Mr.  Sneed  managed  to  lash  an  oar  upright,  and 
on  it  he  fastened  a  bit  of  canvas.  It  stood  out 
straight,  like  a  board,  so  strong  was  the  wind  that 
whipped  it. 

"  I  hope  they  see  that,"  commented  the  actor. 

"  I  hope  so,  too,"  added  Russ.  "  It  doesn't  do 
any  good  to  yell,  for  the  wind  is  blowing  from 
them  to  us." 

More  than  once,  as  they  urged  their  craft  on 
a  long  slant  toward  the  steamer,  they  almost  gave 
up  hope.  But  it  sprang  up  again,  and  finally,  as 
a  break  in  the  clouds  let  out  a  little  rift  of  light, 
someone  on  the  watch  aboard  the  steamer  saw  the 
fluttering  signal. 

"  She's  seen  us !  She's  seen  us !  "  cried  Russ  in 
delight. 

"How  can  you  tell?"  demanded  his  com- 
panion. 

"  She  whistled.  I  saw  the  steam.  You'll  hear 
the  blast  in  a  second." 

And  they  did.  Light  travels  faster  than  sound. 
They  saw  the  steam  from  the  powerful  whistle 


A  SIGNAL  OF  DISTRESS  205 

before  they  heard  the  hoarse  blast;  even  as  one 
sees  the  flash  of  a  gun  before  hearing  the  report. 

The  steamer  changed  her  course,  and  came  on 
toward  the  motorboat. 

"  Suppose  it's  the  English  one,  that  wants  to 
capture  poor  Jack,"  suggested  Mr.  Sneed. 

"  That  doesn't  make  any  difference,"  Russ 
said.  "  She'll  save  us,  and  then  look  for  the 
schooner.    We  can  take  up  Jack's  case  later." 

It  did  not  prove  to  be  the  English  steamer.  In- 
stead it  was  a  powerful  fruiter,  hailing  from  New 
York,  and  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed  were  soon  aboard, 
the  Ajax  being  hoisted  to  her  deck.  Then  she 
resumed  her  course,  but  it  was  a  different  one. 

For,  on  the  earnest  plea  of  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed, 
the  steamer's  captain  consented  to  turn  back  and 
search  for  the  Mary  Ellen. 

"  I  don't  know  as  I'll  find  her,"  he  said,  "  but 
we  can't  let  all  those  poor  souls  perish." 

So  the  search  began.  It  lasted  three  days, 
during  which  the  storm  nearly  blew  itself  out. 
And  on  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day,  when  the 
sullen  sea  was  trying  to  calm  itself,  and  when  the 
wind  had  died  down  to  a  moderate  gale,  the 
lookout  of  the  Sirius  called  out : 

"Sail  ho!" 

"  Where  away  ?  "  came  the  demand. 

"  Dead  ahead.  She's  a  schooner,  low  in  the 
water,  and  she's  flying  a  signal  of  distress!" 


CHAPTER  XXV 


CLEAR  SKIES 


Instantly  there  was  commotion  and  excite- 
ment on  board  the  Sirius,  for  Russ  and  Mr.  Sneed 
had  told  their  story  of  the  starting  out  to  make 
a  pictured  shipwreck,  which  shipwreck  had  evi- 
dently, now,  become  real. 

"  That's  the  Mary  Ellen,  I'm  sure  of  it !  "  Russ 
cried  as  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  sighted 
schooner.     "  But  what  has  happened  to  her?  " 

"  Masts  are  gone,  and  she's  sinking,"  one  of 
the  steamer's  officers  told  him.  "  I  guess  we 
can't  get  to  her  any  too  quickly." 

And  it  was  high  time  a  rescue  was  made,  for 
Captain  Jepson,  and  Mr.  Pertell  had  decided  to 
take  to  the  boats  with  all  on  board. 

The  Mary  Ellen  was  sinking;  there  was  no 
doubt  of  that.  All  that  could  be  done  had  been 
done,  but  to  no  avail. 

But  hope  revived  when  the  steamer  was  sighted. 

A  little  later,  the  Sirius  stood  by.  And  high 
time,  too.  As  a  last  resort,  when  it  was  found 
206 


CLEAR  SKIES  207 

that  the  repaired  pumps  could  not  keep  the  water 
down  in  the  hold,  so  big  was  the  leak,  the  signal 
of  distress  had  been  hoisted.  And,  after  many 
anxious  hours,  it  had  been  thus  providentially  an- 
swered. 

Then  a  thought  came  to  Mr.  Pertell.  The 
weather  had  cleared.  The  schooner  would  keep 
afloat  a  few  hours  more.  Why  not  make  the 
pictures  of  the  shipwreck  now?  It  would  be  his 
only  chance.  True,  they  would  not  be  just  as 
planned,  but  they  would  be  better  than  losing  all 
the  efforts  that  had  been  made. 

There  was  a  brief  talk  with  the  captain  of  the 
Sirius.  He  consented  to  stand  by  until  the  sea 
drama,  quickly  revised,  was  acted  out — at  least, 
until  shipwreck  scenes  were  portrayed. 

It  was  rather  an  exciting  time,  the  passengers 
dropping  overboard  from  the  sinking  schooner, 
and  being  rescued  in  boats.  Russ,  on  board  the 
Ajax,  which  was  again  put  into  the  sea,  worked 
the  camera.  The  Mary  Ellen  made  a  more  real- 
istic wreck  than  had  been  hoped  for.  Former 
Captain  Brisco  and  Hen  Lacomb,  alone,  refused 
to  take  any  part  in  the  drama. 

At  last  the  final  film  was  run  off,  the  last  rescue 
was  made  by  the  motor  craft  and  small  boats, 
and  all,  passengers  and  crew,  from  the  sinking 
schooner,  were  taken  aboard  the  Sirius. 


2o8     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  There  she  goes ! "  said  Alice  softly,  as,  with 
a  final  lurch,  and  a  blowing  up  of  her  decks,  from 
the  compressed  air  under  them,  the  old  craft, 
bow  first  went  beneath  the  waves.  Russ  took  the 
final  pictures. 

"Game  to  the  last!"  said  Captain  Jepson. 
"  She  went  down  bow  on,  to  show  she  wasn't 
afraid  of  Davy  Jones!  That's  the  last  of  her, 
and  the  last  of  Brisco's  schemes  to  get  her  for  his 
own  use." 

"  Tell  me  about  that  now,"  suggested  Mr. 
Pertell.  "  I  have  time  to  listen  now,  for  we  aren't 
trying  to  save  a  sinking  ship." 

They  were  all  now  safely  aboard  the  steamer, 
which  had  resumed  her  course.  The  moving  pic- 
tures had  all  been  taken,  save  some  that  needed  a 
shore  background,  and  these  could  be  done  later. 

"  Did  Brisco  really  plot  to  get  the  Mary 
Ellen?  "  asked  the  manager. 

"He  did,"  said  Jack  Jepson.  "I'll  tell  you 
the  whole  story."  And  he  did.  Briefly  it  was 
this: 

On  his  first  trip  to  the  schooner,  Jack  had  recog- 
nized Brisco  as  an  unscrupulous  man  who  had 
been  engaged  in  several  shady  ship  transactions. 
But  Brisco  denied  his  identity,  and  Jack  pre- 
tended to  have  been  mistaken,  in  order  to  throw 
him  off  his  guard.     Brisco  was  also,  Jack  said, 


CLEAR  SKIES  209 

one  of  the  mutineers  of  the  Halcyon,  but  the 
plotter  denied  this,  and  Jack  admitted  he  may 
have  been  mistaken. 

Then  came  the  advent  of  Hen  Lacomb,  whom 
Jepson  recognized  as  a  fellow  plotter  with  Brisco. 
The  evil  men  knew  him,  too,  after  a  bit,  but  they 
counted  on  the  charge  of  mutiny  hanging  over 
him  to  make  him  keep  quiet,  and  not  reveal  their 
plot. 

Brisco  and  Lacomb  plotted  to  get  the  schooner 
for  themselves.  They  were  not  really  going  to 
endanger  the  lives  of  the  passengers  or  crew,  but 
their  game  was  to  only  pretend  to  sink  the  ship, 
and  to  raise  such  an  alarm  that  she  would  be 
hastily  abandoned.  Then  they  would  come  back 
to  her  later,  salvage  her,  and  use  her  for  their 
own  ends. 

Jack  Jepson  had  overheard  this  plot,  and,  as  he 
had  said,  found  the  incriminating  document 
signed  by  Lacomb.  This  was  hidden  in  a  secret, 
compartment  in  what  had  formerly  been  his  bunk, 
when  the  schooner  was  the  Halcyon. 

When  Brisco  and  Lacomb  discovered  that  Jep- 
son knew  their  secret,  they  tried  to  get  rid  of 
him,  by  a  seeming  accident.  But  Fate  interfered 
with  their  plans,  and  the  storm  made  a  big 
change.  Then  came  the  deposing  of  Captain 
Brisco,  and  the  rest  of  the  story  is  known  to  my 
readers. 


iIO     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

"  Well,  Jack  Jepson — or,  Captain  Jepson, 
though  you  haven't  now  command  of  any  ship," 
said  Mr.  Pertell,  "  we  owe  much  to  you." 

"  It's  nothin'  at  all,"  Jack  said,  modestly 
enough.  **  When  I  saw  this  steamer,  though,  I 
thought  it  was  that  Britisher  coming  back  for 
me." 

"  It's  a  shame  that  the  charge  of  mutiny  should 
hang  over  you!"  exclaimed  Alice.  "I  think  it 
should  be  wiped  out." 

"  I  wish  it  could  be,"  Jack  said  with  a  sigh. 

A  steward,  a  little  later,  came  to  where  the 
rescued  ones  were  talking  together — Brisco  and 
Lacomb  having  gone  off  by  themselves — and  the 
steward  said  the  steamer's  captain  wanted  to  talk 
to  the  schooner's  commander. 

"  There  he  is,"  said  Mr.  Pertell,  pointing  to 
Jack  Jepson.    "  That's  our  new  captain." 

The  steward  looked.  A  queer  change  came 
over  his  face. 

"Jack!"  he  cried.  "Is  it  really  you?  I've 
looked  all  over  the  world  for  you !  " 

"  Tom  Buttle ! "  cried  Jepson,  leaping  to  his 
feet.  "  My  old  shipmate.  Say,  if  anyone  knows, 
you  do,  that  I  never  had  a  thing  to  do  with  that 
mutiny  on  the  Halcyon.  Don't  you  know  I 
didn't?" 

"  Of  course  I  do!  "  the  steward  cried.    "  I  can 


CLEAR  SKIES  211 

prove  you  were  as  innocent  as  a  babe,  and  I  know 
others  who  can,  too." 

"What's  this — more  of  the  mystery?"  asked 
Alice. 

"  It's  the  end  of  it,  I  hope,"  iaid  Jack  solemnly. 
"Tell 'em,  Tom!" 

"  There  isn't  much  to  tell,"  the  steward  said. 
"  I  was  a  shipmate  with  Jack  on  the  Halcyon  or 
the  Mary  Ellen,  in  the  old  days.  He's  probably 
told  you  of  the  mutiny.  I  was  hurt  in  it,  and  lay 
unconscious  when  they  arrested  him  for  it.  I 
didn't  recover  until  he  had  been  put  in  jail,  and 
when  I  tried  to  give  my  evidence,  I  could  get  no 
one  to  listen  to  me.  Then  I  heard  Jack  had  es- 
caped and  I  rested  easy.  I  never  knew  the  charge 
was  hanging  over  him  all  this  while. 

"  I've  been  all  over  the  world  since,  sailing  in 
different  vessels,  and  in  every  port  I'd  inquire  of 
Jack  from  those  who  knew  him.  But  I  never 
found  him  until  now.  Clear  him — of  course  I 
can  clear  him  of  the  unjust  charge!  " 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  that !  "  said  Jack  Jepson. 

"  Everything  is  cleared  up !  "  cried  Alice  gaily. 
"  Even  the  sky — see  how  blue  it  is !  " 

In  due  time  Jack's  innocence  was  proved  be- 
fore the  English  courts,  and  the  charge  against 
him  wiped  out.  He  was  then  free  to  come  and 
go  as  he  pleased.    But  the  mystery  of  the  disap- 


212     THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 

pearance  of  Captain  Watson,  of  the  Halcyon,  or 
old  Mary  Ellen,  and  his  companion,  Mike  Tul- 
lane,  was  never  solved. 

The  Mary  Ellen,  all  that  was  left  of  the  recon- 
structed Halcyon,  was,  of  course,  a  total  wreck. 
Brisco's  plan  failed.  Nothing  was  done  to  him. 
as  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  prove  a  case 
against  him. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  taking  the  needed 
land  scenes  of  the  sea  drama,  and  when  this  was 
done,  the  whole  company  returned  to  New  York. 

"  Well,  Alice,"  remarked  Ruth  one  day,  as 
they  were  on  their  way  up  the  coast  in  a  steamer, 
"  did  you  have  enough  of  sea-life  this  trip?  " 

"  I  certainly  did,"  was  the  answer.  "  No  more 
shipwrecks  for  me !  " 

"Same  here!"  put  in  Russ.  "It's  taking 
too  many  chances !  " 

"  Oh,  you'd  do  it  over  again — or  something  like 
it — and  so  would  you  girls,  if  you  knew  a  good 
film  would  come  of  it,"  predicted  Paul  Ardite, 
with  a  laugh. 

And  here  we  will  say  good-bye  to  the  Moving 
Picture  Girls. 

THE  END 


THE  JANICE  DAY  SERIES 

By  HELEN  BEECHER  LONG 


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A  series  of  books  for  girls  which  have  been 
uniformly  successful.  Janice  Day  is  a  character 
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An  ideal  series  for  girls  from  nine  to  sixteen. 

JANICE  DAY,  THE  YOUNG  HOMEMAKER 
JANICE  DAY  AT  POKETOWN 
THE  TESTING  OF  JANICE  DAY 
HOW  JANICE  DAY  WON 
THE  MISSION  OF  JANICE  DAY 


THE  NAN  SHERWOOD  SERIES 

By  Annie  Roe  Carr 


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In  Annie  Roe  Carr  we  have  found  a  young  woman 
of  wide  experience  among  girls— in  schoolroom,  in 
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do  the  boys.  And  she  knows  humor— good,  clean 
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NAN  SHERWOOD  AT  PINE  CAMP 

or  The  Old  Lumberman's  Secret 

NAN  SHERWOOD  AT  LAKEVIEW  HALL 

or  The  Mystery  of  the  Haunted  Boathouse 

NAN  SHERWOOD'S  WINTER  HOLIDAYS 

or  Rescuing  the  Runaways 

NAN  SHERWOOD  AT  ROSE  RANCH 

or  The  Old  Mexican's  Treasure 

NAN  SHERWOOD  AT  PALM  BEACH 

or  Strange  Adventures  Among  the  Orange  Groves 


